A Muslim man who attacked his sister leaving her covered in bruises all over her body has been jailed for 10 months.

Mohammed Ellahi arrived at his parents' home to find his mother and sister involved in a heated row.

But 34-year-old Ellahi, a married man from Hitchin, decided to get involved himself and after calling his sister a bitch began punching her about the face and head.

His sister Tasleem Begum lived there with her parents.

The prosecutor said Ellahi then used two metal rods that were part of the structure of a glass topped coffee table to hit Tasleem all over her body.

The court heard the sister subsequently spent three days in hospital being treated for her injuries.

The prosecutor said the sister had been divorced after an arranged marriage had broken down and the mother was not happy with her choice of friends.

It was also being suggested that the sister should travel to Pakistan.

It was then that Ellahi attacked the girl leaving her covered in bruises to her face, arms, shoulder, legs and back.

The court heard the sister managed to escape from the house when her brother went upstairs to look for her mobile phone so he could see who her friends were.

Miss Carter said Tasleem ran to the home of friends who phoned for an ambulance.

Police also arrived on the scene and accompanied her to hospital.