A GREENOCK man has admitted assaulting his girlfriend – with a bag of PYJAMAS.

Martin Gardner, 20, carried out the bizarre attack after the couple had attended a christening.

Despite the assault, during which the woman fell into a hedge, Greenock Sheriff Court heard the couple are now engaged to be married.

The incident happened near Gardner’s home in Hope Street on the night of 15 June.

Depute fiscal Hugh Brady said: “The complainer at the time of the incident was the girlfriend of Mr Gardner — they are now engaged.

“At around 10.15pm they had been at a christening and afterwards alcohol had been consumed.” Mr Brady said a phone call had taken place which ‘annoyed’ Gardner.

He then described how the assault took place, adding: “There was an argument which resulted in Mr Gardner seizing and pushing her on the body, causing her to fall on a hedge, and he then struck her repeatedly with a bag.

“Police officers were called and he was detained.” Gardner’s partner received bruising to her upper arms where she had been seized but required no medical attention.

When asked by Sheriff Derek Hamilton what kind of bag Gardner had struck the woman with, solicitor Jim Hanney was seen to confer with his client in the dock.

Mr Hanney then said: “It was a plastic bag containing pyjamas.” The lawyer added that the pair had been at a local bowling club following the christening and said that by 5.30pm both were ‘fairly drunk’.

Gardner pled guilty to grabbing the woman on the body and striking her repeatedly on the body with a bag to her injury.

It was revealed in court that he’d previously appeared in the dock in 2012 and was convicted of an analogous offence.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton told him: “This is the second conviction for assault to injury in two years.

“The last time you were admonished — you will not be admonished this time.

“I will deal with it on this occasion by means of a Community Payback Order where you will do 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.”