A bride was viciously assaulted by her groom on their wedding night because he couldn't take her dress off. Amy Dawson, 22, married her long term partner Gavin Golightly in her dream wedding somtimes back.

But the bride's dream day soon turned into a nightmare. The newlyweds retired to their room after a reception with friends and family following the party at a country hotel.

It was then, only hours after making their marriage vows, that 29-year-old Golightly launched a terrifying attack on his bride when she asked for help in taking her wedding dress off.

The argument broke out after he was unable to help her out of the dress, and he then threw her to the floor before launching the attack that left her with a cut eyebrow and a bruised face and chest.

Golightly claimed that he had been drugged before the attack and could not remember any of the incident, but he later admitted a single count of assault causing actual bodily harm at Peterlee Magistrates Court.

He was handed a community order for the outburst, but Amy, who has a child with Golightly, said the punishment was not harsh enough.

The former sweethearts married at St Mary's Church in West Rainton, County Durham before moving on to Beamish Hall for their party, which turned out to be the setting for the horrifying attack. Amy, an accountancy student, has since filed for divorce.