A Swindon man admitted headbutting his former girlfriend.

Joshua Morley, 26, of Colbourne Street, had been due to stand trial this week at Swindon Crown Court on allegations of assault and controlling his ex in Chippenham between 2015 and 2019.

But the day before the jury were expected to be sworn in the trial cracked, with prosecutors accepting pleas to assault causing actual bodily harm and assault by battery.

He pleaded not guilty to engaging in a coercive or controlling relationship. It had been claimed he had controlled his ex’s access to cash, prevented her from going into certain rooms of their house and assaulted her.

Prosecutor Alex Daymond said the ABH allegation related to a headbutt in the summer 2015, which left an injury that had been seen when the woman went to a maternity appointment. The battery charge arose after he pushed her in December that year.

Morley had one minor matter on his record but was essentially a man of previous good character, his barrister Grace Flynn said.

Judge Jason Taylor QC adjourned for a pre-sentence report. He bailed the defendant to appear before the crown court on September 7.

The trial became the latest to crack at Swindon Crown Court. Since jury trials were given the go-ahead earlier this summer, every single case listed before the town’s judges have been resolved before jurors could be sworn in.