THE best man at a wedding attacked his ex-girlfriend and left her vomiting blood.

Dean Critchley, who has a history of domestic abuse, has been jailed for the drunken assault during a reception at Alder Root Golf Club in Winwick last month.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Tuesday, that the defendant and his victim had been in a relationship and have a daughter together, but split up in September 2020.

On Saturday, November 6, both attended a wedding at the Alder Root Lane venue at which Critchley was the best man.

But the ‘steaming’ drunk abuser told her former partner to ‘f*** off’ and called her a ‘slut’ after encountering her during the reception.

Then, shortly after 8.30pm, the 27-year-old told her that she ‘needed to go home’ and the complainant walked away across the car park while on the phone to her mum.

Critchley followed her, grabbed the mobile and smashed it on the ground before punching her once to the face – connecting with her nose.

The impact of the blow caused her to fall over and hit the back of her head on the floor, after which he shouted that he was ‘going to hang himself’ and made off.

An ambulance was called when she began vomiting blood, after which she was taken to Warrington Hospital.

Police also attended the scene.

‘Ashamed’ Critchley, of Pennine Way in St Helens, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm during an earlier hearing and was locked up for 10 months.

His 10 previous convictions for 16 offences include two ABH charges committed against former partners.

Sentencing, recorder David O’Mahony said: “There were a number of times during the evening where you called her names then you followed her, took her phone and smashed it.

“You followed her again, and it was at that time that you punched her.

“That was not impulsive or spontaneous.”

Appearing in court via video link to HMP Altcourse, Critchley gave two thumbs up to the camera after receiving his sentence.

He will be required to serve up to half of his sentence in custody before being released on licence, and was also told to pay a victim surcharge.