Janette Barrington (pictured outside Manchester Crown Court) cut off her boyfriend's hair as he was sleeping after he told her he was moving out

A woman cut off her boyfriend's hair as he was sleeping and slashed his tyres to stop him escaping after he told her he was moving out, a court heard.

Janette Barrington, 56, crept up to Steven Newton's bedside at their home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, and took out styling scissors before giving him a haircut.

The 57-year-old, who was dressed only in his pyjama bottoms, broke free but was assaulted with the sharp tool before being pushed downstairs by the mother-of-four.

Fleeing the house, Mr Newton grabbed an overcoat and jumped in his car but only got as far as the end of the road before realising his tyres were flat and took refuge at a neighbours house.

Police were called and arrested Barrington, who had been drinking wine, claimed that Mr Newton had tried to 'rape and kill' her, although she later said she 'didn't mean' the comments.

At Manchester Crown Court Barrington admitted assault and criminal damage and was handed a six month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

The court heard the couple had been dating for 13 years but had a stormy relationship which culminated in the violent row in the couple's kitchen on May 9 after both had been drinking.

He took a sleeping tablet and went to bed for an afternoon nap but while he slept, Barrington damaged two tyres of his car with the scissors before going into his bedroom at around 6pm.

Prosecuting, Tim Greenald said: 'She began to shout at him. She grabbed his hair and used a pair of hairdressing scissors she had in the address to cut parts of his hair having pinned him to the floor.

'Mr Newton crawled to the upstairs landing and got to his feet. He was further assaulted with the scissors causing scratches and minor cuts and his T-shirt was ripped.

'He was pushed down the stairs and struck a table at the bottom of the stairs which broke a mirror.

'It may be that some of the injuries in this case were caused by the mirror breaking and falling on him.

'There was a further incident at the door in which there was further scratching at the left shoulder with scissors before he finally left.

'He fled wearing his pyjama bottoms and a coat, got into his car and drove off but noticed fairly shortly that the tyres were flat and stopped around the corner.'

Mr Newton was taken to hospital where he was treated for scratches. Barrington later told police Mr Newton had been drinking all day and had been abusive to her, saying he would leave her and was gathering his possessions.

Barrington admitted assault and criminal damage and was handed a six month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Manchester Crown Court

The court heard the couple had been dating for 13 years but had a stormy relationship which culminated in the violent row in the couple's kitchen on May 9 after both had been drinking

Barrington told police Mr Newton had been drinking all day and had been abusive to her, saying he would leave her and was gathering his possessions

Mr Greenald added: 'She decided to damage his tyres as she didn't want him drinking and driving and she used the hairdressing scissors for that purpose.

'She said he was taunting her and laughing at her and therefore she decided to cut his hair to make him stay with her.

'She said because he stood up as she was in the act of cutting it, the scissors caught him.

'She said what then followed was a grapple in which he grabbed her face. She denied she pushed him down the stairs. She said he stumbled down.'

The court heard Mr Newton initially told police he had been assaulted on two further occasions claiming Barrington had carved her initials into his chest and attacked him with a garden trowel.

He later said the allegations were false.

On behalf of Barrington, defence counsel Guy Mathieson claimed his client had been subjected to domestic violence.

He said: 'She works and works hard, around 47 hours per week. It is often so in domestic violence situations that the victim, as she has been in this and on occasion, clings to the relationship because even a dysfunctional relationship is better than being on your own.

Steven Newton was assaulted with scissors before being pushed downstairs by the mother-of-four and escaping their home in Worsley, Greater Manchester (pictured)

'She has found, and it is horrible to say, that the time she spent with this man in this abusive relationship have been wasted years and she has realised there is more to life than suffering in silence.'

Sentencing, the judge Mr Recorder Harry Narayan added: 'I take into account your guilty plea, the fact you have no previous convictions and accept this was done in a relationship, however using a weapon to inflict injuries to someone crosses the custody threshold. The only question is whether the sentence can be suspended, and, fortunately, it can.'

Barrington was also ordered to pay Mr Newton £200 compensation plus £900 costs.