SHOCKED boyfriend Edward McInnes stormed round to confront his lover after he was sent "explicit photographs" of her with another man, Grimsby magistrates heard.
He believed the pictures meant she "must have been seeing another male behind his back", the court was told.
McInnes, 28, of Eskdale Way, Grimsby, admitted assaulting Sasha Birkett, on October 13.
Brendan Woodward, prosecuting, said McInnes turned up after a drinking session and became involved in an argument with Miss Birkett.
He lashed out to punch a kitchen cupboard but caught Miss Birkett in the face, causing swelling on her nose.
Lauren Fisher, mitigating, said McInnes received a telephone call to say that he had received some mail through his letter box.
He asked the other person to open the parcel – and was told that it contained "explicit photographs" of his girlfriend with another man.
"He was extremely concerned and upset and returned to have a look at the photographs himself and check the accuracy," said Miss Fisher.
The pictures were dated October 4 and he believed them to be very recent so he went round to his girlfriend's home to confront her and to ask for an explanation.
He had drunk a couple of cans of beer.
"He believed his girlfriend must have been seeing another male behind his back at the time of the relationship," said Miss Fisher.
The magistrates might be able to "empathise" with how McInnes would have been feeling, she added.
It transpired, however, that the pictures were apparently very old.
Unemployed McInnes was given a two-year supervision order, including a domestic abuse programme, and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a Government-imposed £60 victims' surcharge.
More court news every day in the Grimsby Telegraph