A thug attacked a woman leaving her with a fractured eye socket and broken ribs after she told him she didn’t fancy him.

A court heard how Matthew Ashley, 51, punched and strangled the woman during a "concerted attack" following a day at the beach at Camber Sands last August.

Richard Paton-Philip, prosecuting, told jurors there had been a "frosty atmosphere" on the return journey to London, so the woman decided to leave to see a friend.

But later that evening Ashley sent her messages asking her to come back to his house in Orpington, south east London, and she agreed.

Mr Paton-Philip told Croydon Crown Court: “There was a conversation which moved into talking about him wanting a relationship with her.

“She was very clear that was not what she wanted. She said she didn’t want a relationship with him, and she did not fancy him at all.”

He said the victim tried to "humour" Ashley, while insisting she wasn't interested in a relationship, but after growing tired of his attempts to convince her she went to leave.

As she tried to leave Ashley launched a "concerted attack" on her, raining down blows with his fists, telling her to "shut up" as she screamed and at one point he strangled her, the court heard.

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Ashley then sent the victim to a bedroom where she passed out.

She woke up the next morning in a blood-covered bed and could hear Ashley in the room next door.

She made her escape and hobbled out into the street where she was helped by members of the public who phoned the police.

The jury was shown harrowing police body-cam footage of the woman in the street, clearly in a distressed state with visible injuries.

Mr Paton-Philip told the jury she suffered a fractured eye socket, ribs and foot during the course of the attack.

Ashley was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm following a four day trial.

He is due to be sentenced in June.