Abdul Kabir (31), who lived at 31 Tennyson Avenue, admitted assaulting Samantha Simpson and causing her actual bodily harm in the early hours of May 31.

During the attack, he smacked, kicked and pushed his teenage girlfriend after forcing her in to his flat.

Nick Methwold, prosecuting, told the court Miss Simpson had been employed as a cashier at the Tennyson Avenue convenience store.

In a statement, Miss Simpson described how they would argue “like cat and dog” adding she was quite stubborn and the arguments were not one-sided.

On this occasion, she said Kabir had picked her up and taken her to his flat to “talk things through,” although she had wanted to go home.

He had gone out for some time and she had been drinking wine before crashing out on the sofa, and the argument began when he woke her up.

Mr Methwold said: “He pushed her at the bottom of the stairs and she hit her head on a door and fell to the floor.

“He smacked her, called her a ‘crazy bitch’ and kicked her as she lay in the foetal position to protect herself.

Mr Methwold said Miss Simpson had described her boyfriend’s attacks on her as “frenzied” and also suffered a burn mark from a lit cigarette on her arm.

Kabir had a previous conviction for using threatening language and had been cautioned for drugs possession, the court heard.

Mr Marcus Langois, defending, said: “This was a nasty, vicious attack” but his client was genuinely remorseful.

He said Kabir had been in a relationship with Miss Simpson since she was 16 and the relationship had “blossomed”, although her jealousy was the main cause of arguments.

Mr Langois said Kabir had been living in London since the attack, while a cousin ran the shop, and his Indian takeaway business had closed.

He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for two years with a two-year supervision order, under which he must attend an integrated domestic abuse programme.

Kabir was also ordered to pay Miss Simpson £750 compensation and prosecution costs of £720.

Judge Simon Barham told him: “Normally you would go to prison as it is a serious attack on a young woman. But there are a number of features – you have pleaded guilty and have been in custody for three weeks. Finally, there is a letter from her on which I place some reliance as you have not been in contact with her.

“She does not wish you to receive a custodial sentence. Her wishes do not decide the sentence, but I take the letter into account. If your sentence is suspended you will receive treatment and if you do receive treatment you are much less likely to re-offend.”