A jealous Ipswich man grabbed his girlfriend by the hair and punched her after she refused to give him the password to her Facebook account, a court has heard.

Cy Witham was banned from contacting Carla Livermore after magistrates made a restraining order in October last year for an offence of battery, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

However on July 2 following a telephone call from Witham, Miss Livermore went to his home in Defoe Road, Ipswich at 7am and got into bed with him, said Robert Sadd, prosecuting.

While they were talking Witham asked Miss Livermore for the password to her Facebook account and when she refused he asked if she was cheating on him.

She told him he was being dumb and as she went to the door to leave he grabbed her hair and pulled her to the floor, said Mr Sadd.

Witham had then punched her on the leg and she cried for him to stop.

Miss Livermore got up and pushed Mr Witham into the corner of the room and scratched his armpit and butted him.

The following day Miss Livermore was walking along Shakespeare Road when she saw Witham, said Mr Sadd.

He approached her and ripped off a necklace and swore at her.

Later the same day Witham went to her home and when she answered the door he shouted and swore at her, said Mr Sadd.

Miss Livermore’s mother told Witham to go away and she called the police after he started kicking the door.

Witham, 22, admitted assault by beating and acting in breach of a restraining order and was jailed for eight months.

Roger Thomson, for Witham, said the relationship between him and Miss Livermore had finally come to an end.

He said there had been some complicity by Miss Livermore in the restraining order being breached.