A WINSFORD man bit a former Pop Idol contestant and spat at her mum after a drunken argument, a court heard.

Lee James Howe, 25, of Abbotts Way, admitted two charges of assault by beating and one of criminal damage when he appeared at Northwich Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Catherine Whincup, prosecuting, said the two assaults took place on June 2 this year after Howe and his partner, Leverne Scott-Roberts, had an argument when he came home drunk from the pub.

When their baby son started crying she left the house to get a dummy from her mother's, returning with her mum, Hilary Scott, who was concerned for her safety.

Ms Whincup said: "He grabbed Leverne with two hands, pulled her towards him and bit her on the top of her head causing it to bleed. He put his thumb in her eye, punched the top of her head and she ended up on the floor."

When he saw her mum calling the police he threatened to burn the house down and spat in her face and eyes, then left the scene. He returned to the house at 10.30pm on June 31, punched the window, shouted further threats at Leverne - who reached the final 50 in the first series of the ITV show - and her mum before leaving again.

Derek MacDonald, defending, said this was the first incident of domestic violence Howe had been involved in after a happy relationship with Leverne for 10 years.

The couple's problems began when their baby was born without his right arm and neither partner knew how to cope with this. When Leverne began to suffer from post-natal depression, Howe went to the pub more often as his way of dealing with a situation that was getting out of control.

Mr MacDonald said: "He accepts that he has done wrong - by his admissions in interview with police and by a guilty plea to reflect what he's done."

Magistrates adjourned the case until October 6 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

Howe was granted bail on the condition he does not interfere with or contact prosecution witnesses.