A Polish woman fled her homeland to get away from her partner, only for him to pursue her to Norwich and attack her, a court heard.Piotr Makowski, 29, of Norwich Road, Dereham, was warned by Norwich magistrates he was lucky to avoid jail after he admitted assaulting his estranged girlfriend.

A Polish woman fled her homeland to get away from her partner, only for him to pursue her to Norwich and attack her, a court heard.

Piotr Makowski, 29, of Norwich Road, Dereham, was warned by Norwich magistrates he was lucky to avoid jail after he admitted assaulting his estranged girlfriend.

The court was told by prosecutor Denis King that the victim came to England to get away from the defendant, and they have a two-year-old son who is living in Poland with the defendant's mother.

Mr King added: 'On February 14 the victim was living at an address in Norwich with a friend. It was about 3am.

'The defendant turned up at the address drunk and aggressive. He threw her to the ground. She got up and then he head-butted her. 'She then tried to hide but he chased her. He said to her 'When I get you, I will kill you'. Her injuries were a cut under her left eye and small abrasions above it.'

Eamon Lambert, chairman of the bench at Norwich Magistrates' Court, told Makowski, through an interpreter, that he was lucky to avoid jail.

Mr Lambert said: 'It was very borderline and you are lucky that you have not been sent to prison.'

Instead, Makowski was handed a 12-month community order, ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work, and given a 12 months supervision order.

He was also banned from having any contact with the victim, who still lives in the Norwich area, and ordered to pay �60 costs.

In mitigation, Ted Bell said the fact the victim attended the court case suggested she was not frightened of him.

Mr Bell said his client had shown his co-operation with the court by accepting his former partner's account of what happened on that night, although he said he could not remember head-butting her or telling her he would kill her

Makowski moved to England, Mr Bell said, after he asked the victim if there was work here - and even lived with her for a while.

Mr Bell said: 'The defendant was working in Germany and spoke to the victim on the phone. He asked the complainant if there was work in England, and she said yes. He came over to England and stayed with her for a while. He found work in Norwich but is now living and working in Dereham.'

Makowski currently lives in Dereham, and works as a car wash attendant.