A paramedic may lose his job after attacking a woman and rugby tackling her to the ground with the ‘best of intentions’.

Justin John Chilvers, 30, now of Clements Close, Spencers Wood, Reading, was due to stand trial at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Wednesday, but pleaded guilty to assault by beating that morning.

A charge of assaulting another woman, denied by Chilvers, was withdrawn.

The court heard that Chilvers and his partner of three years went out drinking in St Davids with friends on October 22, and he drank about ten pints and took an unknown illegal drug.

He was involved in a confrontation in a club in the early hours of the morning, and left with his partner who stated he assaulted her in an alleyway after an argument.

Magistrates heard that he pushed her to the ground and kicked her. He pulled her back to her feet before pushing her down again, kicking her side several times, then got on top of her, put his hands around her neck and started to strangle her.

The victim prised him off and he rugby tackled her to the ground as she attempted to run back to the club. The incident ended when people came outside and intervened.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, described the incident as a ‘nasty assault’ and showed magistrates pictures of the victim’s injuries.

A statement read to the court from the victim stated she had been left worried and anxious by the incident, had difficulty sleeping and was scared to go out after dark on her own.

She added: “Despite this, I wish him all the very best for the future and I hope he learns from the mistakes he has made.”

Paul Gilmartin, defending, told the court that Chilvers was of previous clean character, and faced losing his job as a paramedic as a result of the conviction.

He added that the actual event was ‘shrouded in mystery’ due to the amount of alcohol consumed by all parties, but Chilvers accepted the injuries were caused by his actions, after he himself had been attacked by three men inside the club.

He said: “Mr Chilvers got hold of her, it turned out to be round her neck, to pull her out of the dangerous atmosphere that had developed there.”

Mr Gilmartin said that following their argument outside the club he took hold of her lapels and pushed her, he described the kick as a ‘nudge’ which was’ not particularly forceful’.

He added that Chilvers did not want her to return to the club where the trouble had taken place.

“The defendant decided she should not go back there for her own good. With the best of intentions he goes after her and rugby tackles her to the ground.”

Mr Gilmartin told the bench the couple had been in a good relationship until the incident.

He said: “It was all devastated in a moment of madness that night. It’s a tragedy.

“He is desperately sorry. He has pretty much lost everything.”

Magistrates fined Chilvers £720 and ordered him to pay £350 costs and £1,000 compensation to the victim, plus a £72 surcharge.

The chairman of the bench said: “It shows what can happen with drink and drugs. What surprises us is that you as a paramedic must have seen the effects of this sort of thing.

“This behaviour will not be tolerated.”

A restraining order was imposed not to enter Pembrokeshire, or contact the victim.