A drug addict beat up his girlfriend - poking her in the eye and hitting her with part of a vacuum cleaner - in a row over drugs.

Leigh Cooper, of Iffley Road, Oxford, was given a two-year community order for assault causing actual bodily harm following the incident on March 28.

Oxford Crown Court heard how the fight, between him and girlfriend Zoe Green, came at the end of a drug-fuelled week.

Prosecutor Tim Boswell said Cooper, 25, who admitted the offence, had wanted drugs money from Miss Green, a mother- of-three.

This sparked a violent row between them, in which blows came from both sides but Miss Green "came off worse", according to Clare Fraser, defending Cooper.

Since Cooper's arrest, the court heard how Miss Green had withdrawn several statements about the incident, which Miss Fraser said had been a "one-off".

Cooper initially told police it was his girlfriend who was the violent one but later admitted to deliberately poking her in the eye and striking her with a vacuum cleaner attachment.

The court heard how Cooper has a string of previous convictions for violent offences including assault, wounding and robbery.

He has been a drug user since the age of 14 or 15, Miss Fraser said, and his life "descended into chaos" once he became heavily involved with crack and cocaine.

She added: "If it had not been for the drugs this incident would not have happened."

The court heard how the couple has been together since December last year and in the months leading up to the attack Cooper was "practically living with Miss Green".

They separated after the incident but have since got back together and see a future together, Miss Fraser added.

Sentencing Cooper, Judge Anthony King said: "You have significant convictions from the past and you have served a term of three years for robbery.

"You had only just been to court for breaching a community order when you committed this offence.

"I think there is a likelihood of you committing further offences unless something is done."

Cooper, who Miss Fraser said was afraid of having to serve another jail term, then said to the judge: "I will not commit any more offences."

The judge added: "It seems that many agencies have bent over backwards to stop you getting into trouble.

"If you breach the conditions of this order you could face imprisonment."

Cooper must attend a domestic violence programme and a nine-month drug rehabilitation programme during his two-year-long community penalty.