A "COWARDLY" man bit the eye of his former partner amid a "manipulative and controlling" relationship, a court heard.

Carl Morgan abused his ex-lover by biting her, bruising her and leaving her with a black eye.

The 25-year-old also insulted her, critiquing her appearance, before she was forced to call the police.

Prosecutor Andrew Houston told Southampton Crown Court that police received a call in the afternoon from the victim who said she was the victim of domestic abuse.

She told them that she needed the police to come to her immediately before hanging up the phone.

Mr Houston said: "When police went to the property, the victim was covered in bruises. She had a black eye, which had a cut on it, and she said that she was not able to leave."

In another instance, Morgan even told the victim that she had to get a better body if she wanted to visit his family with him in Jamaica.

In an impact statement read to the court by Mr Houston, the victim said: "She described a history of domestic abuse since she moved in with Morgan in December 2017.

"She feels she was manipulated to believe that he loved her.

"She felt controlled and did not have the right to leave...but thing got worse when he pierced her skin when she was bitten.

"She struggled to sleep at night until he was asleep and he said she could not go to hospital as she had a black eye."

The statement added: "She felt humiliated. She lost confidence about her body."

Mr Houston argued that Morgan had used his teeth as a weapon during the incident.

Mitigating, Chris Gaiger said that Morgan had suffered with cerebral palsy, adding that Morgan "needed help with the structure and support" of his life.

In sentencing, Judge Gary Burrell QC said: "This was a cowardly attack and you are a coward because you attacked a girl who you were much stronger than."

Morgan, of Thorndyke Road, Southampton, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years.