A STROUD man accused of assaulting his on-off partner has been cleared after the prosecution dropped the charge against him at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday.

William Davies, 49, of Bath Road, Stroud, was charged with assaulting his partner causing her actual bodily harm on April 21 this year and was awaiting jury trial.

But prosecutor Alex Small told Judge Michael Cullum yesterday that Davies - currently serving a prison sentence - had refused to be brought to court and a witness was refusing to give evidence and had 'ripped up the documentation the Crown has sent to her.'

"She is of no fixed address and she has indicated that if she were to be summonsed to court she would not say anything in the witness box," he added.

"The Crown has decided to offer no evidence on this indictment."

Judge Cullum formally found Davies not guilty of the charge.

Defence solicitor Sarah Jenkins said Davies is currently serving a sentence imposed in another case in June.

He received a seven months jail term for making a threat with an offensive weapon on September 22, 2016 to a man he suspected of having had a 'fling' with his partner.