"Since the incident, I have been having nightmares."
Devinder Singh, aged 27, of Derby, was jailed for two and a half years for attacking his partner with a hot iron in a random attack.
The incident left her with third-degree burns and potentially lifelong scars.
She had been 20-weeks pregnant with his child at the time.
Sarah Phelan, prosecuting, said Singh had been in a relationship with the woman since August 2021.
They met up at around 1:30 pm on New Year’s Eve at the Amber Guest House in Burton Road.
As they walked to Normanton, Singh began drinking. He drank a bottle of Corona followed by an entire bottle of Grant’s whisky with tonic.
He invited her to his accommodation at the hotel that evening.
The woman asked why the iron was on when she arrived and Singh told her it was to heat the room up.
Singh continued to drink as they lay in bed. He then picked up the hot iron and placed it on her right thigh.
Following the attack, Singh told his partner that he wanted to go to sleep, pulling the blanket over his head.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the iron was unplugged but was still warm.
Singh initially denied the offence had taken place but later pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He has six previous convictions for 10 offences, all of which were committed after Singh came to the UK aged 13.
The victim suffered third-degree burns to her right leg and hand as she tried to push the iron away.
In an impact statement, the victim said:
“I have been in a relationship with Devinder Singh since August 2021.
“Since the incident, I have been having nightmares. I feel like I can’t be safe, I can’t go out, I don’t want to socialise.
“I never thought Devinder would do this to me. I feel like I won’t be able to trust anyone again.
“I can’t sleep at night. I could not walk for the first four to five days.
“The burns caused scarring which will probably be there for the rest of my life. I am really upset.”
“He has hurt me and could have hurt my baby. I want to keep him away from me to protect my child. I do not want him to see the baby.”
William Bennett, defending, said: “It is an unpleasant incident, I concede that at the outset.
“She says she wants a restraining order – I can’t think of a decent argument to say she should not have one.
“It is clear that this defendant has a problem, a long-standing problem with drink. He is sober now.
“It is clear that this was not a planned assault. It was done in the spur of the moment while in drink. He makes an admission to the offence before she makes a statement.
“So many people avoid doing so and hope the offence will never come to court.
“Life has not been easy for this man. This however is his first taste of custody. It is unpleasant. He knows that it is his fault that he is there. He knows he is the author of his own misfortune. He is thoroughly ashamed. He knows it has got to be custody.”
Recorder Jason MacAdam said: “What you did was wicked.
“It is well-known by everybody that burns are the most painful of injuries and you put a hot iron to her thigh without cause, good or otherwise, and without warning, and what you did was cause her immense pain that will have lasted for some considerable time, and you have caused her great distress.
“The injury you caused was serious. It has an ongoing psychological effect on her.
“For a young Asian woman, the scarring will be difficult to bear.
“You are now 27. You were 26. There are further aggravating features. You have a history of violence.
“Your offending history is characterised by being in drink which is a further aggravating feature and this was domestic violence.”
Singh was jailed for two and a half years.
He also received a 10-year restraining order which can be renewed at any time. He must also pay a victim surcharge.
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