A jobless woman nicknamed "Waynetta Slob" beat up her live-in lover and ripped up his shirts after he claims she “went crazy” when he tried to get work.

Joanne Corless, 35, flew into a rage with Patrick Kelly because, he said, she feared his finding of employment would mean them getting a cut in their benefits.

As Mr Kelly, 37, made plans for a trip to the job centre, Corless tried to sabotage them by snapping his spectacles and ripping buttons from his shirt.

He went off to get changed into another shirt but moments later she pushed him against the door and ripped that one too before raining down blows on his head. Mr Kelly later fled to a neighbour’s home and police were called.

It emerged the couple were joint tenants at a rented property in Beechwood Grove, Moston, and Corless - nicknamed ‘Waynetta Slob’ by neighbours after the character from the Harry Enfield show played by Kathy Burke - believed they would be better off staying unemployed.

At Manchester magistrates court Corless, who arrived wearing trainers, an anorak and three quarter length ‘leisure’ trousers admitted damage and assault by beating.

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She was given a month community order and ordered to pay £20 compensation to replace the damaged shirts, plus prosecution costs and surcharges of £170. She will have to pay the money out of Employment Support Allowance handouts.

It is thought the feuding pair still live under the same roof.

After the case Mr Kelly who was refused a restraining order against his now ex-girlfriend said: "’She has just lied about a lot of things. We had been arguing about me going down the job centre and the fact it would affect our benefits and she just went crazy.

"She had convinced me to let her be on the tenancy agreement in the first place because of all the benefits - but having lived in that house for the last five years, I just want to get out of it.

"The neighbours have heard her screaming, shouting and ranting. I’m even considering going to the council and declaring myself homeless because I can’t go back there. The courts are supposed to help the victim and they haven’t in this case. I am angry, they’ve done nothing to help me at all. I wanted to get up in the court and tell the truth and tell my side of it.

"This was a domestic violence case and they haven’t helped me, it has gone on for months that we were together. I don’t want anything to do with her, I don’t love her I don’t even like her. I was scared to talk to people about what was going on, with the benefits.

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"I have to get a solicitor now to get her off of the tenancy agreement and I don’t want to go back. It feels like in this case that the woman has won when I am the victim. There are two sides to every story and one of them hasn’t been heard here.’’

Earlier prosecuting Andrew O’Gara said the incident occurred on December 27 in front of Corless’s mother. He added: ‘’There was a heated argument between Mr Kelly and Miss Corless with Miss Corless picking fights previously and she snapped his glasses and started ripping buttons from his shirt.

‘’Mr Kelly went off to change his ripped shirt and when he returned the defendant pushed him against the door before ripping the new shirt. Her mother was present and says she witnessed Miss Corless raining down blows on his head but she doesn’t know if some or any of them landed.”

The court heard Corless had three previous convictions for fraud from 2011, 2014 and July 2016 and had been given a 12 months community order.

Mr O’Gara said: ‘’Mr Kelly said that he wanted her to leave the address but she was refusing to do so. He admits that they have spoken and that there are messages between them which show a relationship and that they were back together. Mr Kelly now says that the relationship is over and he wants no more to do with her and he wants a restraining order.”

(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

In mitigation defence lawyer Kate Young said: ‘’She accepts she lost her temper and has a history of anger management.

But there were no permanent injuries caused to the complainant in this case. She herself believed that the relationship had been rekindled with Mr Kelly and she is currently named on the tenancy agreement with the complainant.’’

Miss Young added: ‘’I have spoken to the mother of my client and she said the complainant attended with the defendant yesterday at her home address in Liverpool and as far as she was concerned the relationship had continued with no issues.

"Mr Kelly is asking for a restraining order but his actions say something quite different. It is quite confusing for the defendant to know that Mr Kelly does not want the relationship to proceed.

"Miss Corless is against the restraining order. She will need to stop the joint benefits they they are receiving and extrapolate herself from the tenancy agreement.’’