Mark Netherwood was arrested on Sunday after smashing up the woman’s Pearce Street home while drunk.

The Wodonga Magistrates Court heard Netherwood grabbed the woman’s left cheek, putting his fingers in her mouth and pulled her off a chair.

He spat a sandwich in her face and punched her three times in the head before the victim’s 14-year-old son intervened.

Netherwood pushed her and gouged her left eye before the woman shouted out for police to be called.

He was arrested, having already been wanted on a warrant.

His partner, who had been dating Netherwood for about four months, said he had a heavy drinking problem and was physically abusive when drunk.

Magistrate Ian Watkins asked Netherwood if he was still in a relationship with the woman.

“I thought so your honour … I still hope so,” he replied.

The Wodonga man applied for bail on Tuesday and said he had “no intention of going anywhere near her or causing any more harm than I have”.

Netherwood said he had only grabbed his partner to stop her punching him in the head.

He has himself been the victim of family violence, having been stabbed by his brother Billy at their mother’s Elm Street home last July.

He had tried to escape but was stabbed at least five times.

Netherwood appeared to become emotional when speaking of his injuries, and said he still needed surgery in Melbourne.

He said he was happy to be jailed, but the magistrate said it “may not get that far”.

The matter returned to the court on Thursday and lawyer Geoff Clancy said he had a difficult relationship with his partner, with violence on both sides. 

“To use the Facebook (term) … it’s complicated,” he said.

Netherwood was ordered to perform 100 hours of community work.