A man attacked his partner after moving back in due to the coronavirus pandemic, a court heard.
Stephen Partington, 37, hit the woman as the pair had a drink fuelled row, causing her to fall and hit her head on a door.
A judge told him he had avoided jail 'by the skin of your teeth'.
Manchester Crown Court heard the pair had been in a relationship since 2015, but it ended at the start of last year.
They had separated but Partington moved back to her home in Little Hulton due to the pandemic, prosecutor Alistair Reid said.
In May last year they had a dispute over where her phone was.
Partington hit her to the face, which caused her to fall and hit her head against a door, the court heard.
She suffered a cut to her head, which required treatment at hospital and she received 18 sutures.
The following day Partington 'voluntarily surrendered' to police.
He told officers: "I was just protecting myself, I pushed her away but she fell."
Partington later entered a basis of plea, which was accepted by the prosecution.
The document said that the pair had both been drinking, and were both 'arguing and being aggressive'.
He accepted that he had acted 'beyond self defence'.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said she moved away from the area and has felt 'isolated'.
Sentencing, Judge Anthony Cross QC told Partington: "You have escaped jail by the skin of your teeth.
"If this violence had been you being entirely responsible for it, you would be going to Forest Bank now.
"But the basis of plea prevents me from doing that.
"I have decided what is best for you and your family is to put in place a restraining order, and to make you do the Building Better Relationships program."
Partington, of Wildbrook Road, Little Hulton, admitted section 20 wounding.
He was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to complete 30 sessions of the Building Better Relationships and ten rehabilitation activity requirement days.
A restraining order was also imposed.
