A thug went round to a woman's house and hit her with a broom the day after being thrown out of a pub following a row.
Gavin Bellis attacked the woman, the cousin of his 'on-off' partner, in her home.
The 30-year-old defendant had been in a pub in Moston, where his partner and the victim were also present the night before the incident.
They had been out separately, but later ended up in the same pub.
A 'verbal altercation' broke out in the boozer and Bellis was ejected, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Prosecuting, Andrea Lock said Bellis was 'clearly still unhappy' as he went round to the victim's home, on April 13 last year.
Bellis began 'insisting' that she let him in.
He managed to get inside, and they started to have an argument.
She picked up a broom to defend herself, the court was told.
Bellis grabbed it from her and then hit her with it, 'with some considerable force', Ms Lock said.
The force was such that the broom's handle snapped.
She was taken to hospital, and was discharged after being given painkillers.
After the incident Bellis sent her a message on Facebook apologising for what he'd done.
"Sorry about today," he said.
"I feel ashamed of myself and deserve what happens to me."
Defending, Chudi Grant said Bellis, who pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, (ABH) 'bitterly regrets' his actions, and said he realises they put him in a 'perilous position'.
Judge Anthony Cross QC spared Bellis jail.
"You are very fortunate that you did no real damage, no lasting physical damage to your victim," the judge told Bellis.
The judge said the maximum sentence he could impose for ABH was 51 weeks in prison, and that if he were jailed Bellis would only serve a short period in custody and would also lose his job.
Bellis, who has previous convictions for common assault and ABH, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
"You have shown in the past you can stay out of trouble, so I'm going to give you a chance," Judge Cross added.
A restraining order was imposed for five years, and the judge ordered Bellis to pay his victim £250 in compensation.
