A terrified woman was seriously injured after plunging from a balcony as she tried to escape from her ex-partner who had attacked her, a court heard. 

The woman had tried to climb down from the first-floor balcony at a property in East Weare Road, Portland and fell about 10ft onto a wall below, breaking three ribs and rupturing her liver.

Her callous ex then grabbed her car keys from her as she lay on the floor and drove away to buy cocaine.

The shocking details were heard by magistrates in the trial of Liam Simpson who was accused of assaulting the woman by putting his hand around her throat.

Simpson, a 28-year-old boxing coach of Woolcombe Road, Portland, denied the charge but was found guilty following a trial at Poole Magistrates Court 

Magistrates heard Simpson and the victim met at a flat on August 16 to talk, having previously been in a relationship that ended poorly.

After both becoming drunk, Simpson briefly left to find a phone charger, and a female friend of the victim arrived.

The victim, protected by a screen as she gave evidence, said when Simpson returned he had become aggressive, asking her for her car keys so that he could go and buy cocaine.

She refused and put the keys in her pocket, before going onto the balcony to try and get away. He followed and put one of his hands around her throat. 

The victim's friend then pulled him away.

The victim said: "I could not get past to the front door so I climbed over the balcony to jump but slipped and fell."

As she attempted to crawl away and hide, Simpson came and took her car keys and drove away seemingly 'uncaring' about her injuries.

The woman said she still has nightmares about the incident.

Simpson claimed he already had the keys and said he tried to grab a knife from the woman when she became erratic and threatened to take her own life.

The magistrate said: "This is one person's word against another person. What you (Simpson) are saying is quite different from what the victim has said.

"She (the victim) was consistent and reliable in her testimony.

"I will not accept your evidence. I don't believe you."

Simpson has previously pleaded guilty to assault of an emergency worker, aggravated taking of a motor vehicle, use of a motor vehicle without licence or insurance, and assault causing actual bodily harm all on the same day of the assault - August 16.

Additionally, he has admitted to criminal damage to a shed roof on July 28 in Weymouth.

He will be sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, November 8.