An Ipswich man who kicked down his former partner’s front door and slashed her bed, mattress and sofa has been jailed for 12 months.

Fraser Ward and Charlotte Smith were in a relationship from August to September last year and in December magistrates banned Ward from contacting her after he assaulted her, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

On May 24, Miss Smith was at a fair in Constantine Road, Ipswich, at 10.45pm when she received a call from Ward who threatened to kick her front door in and smash up her flat, said David Wilson, prosecuting.

Ward had then turned up at the fair and shouted and screamed at Miss Smith and made threats to her.

Police officers arrested Ward and when Miss Smith returned to her home in Jasmine Close, Ipswich, she found her front door was broken and the headboard, footboard and mattress on her bed and a sofa had been slashed.

The total value of the damage was £1,800, said Mr Wilson. He said those items were of particular value to Miss Smith as her family paid for them.

“He would have known it would hurt her to have those items damaged in that way,” said Mr Wilson.

Ward, 30, of Highfield Road, Ipswich, admitted assaulting Miss Smith by beating, criminal damage and breaching a restraining order. In addition to being jailed for 12 months, he was made the subject of a new two year restraining order banning him from contacting Miss Smith.

The court heard Ward has more than 100 previous convictions dating back to 2001 and had breached the restraining order made on December 5 last year on December 30 and again in March this year resulting in prison sentences.

Wayne Cleaver, for Ward, said his client had been in custody since May and had served the equivalent of an eight month sentence.

He said Ward and Miss Smith had regularly drunk during their relationship and there had been verbal and sometimes physical altercations on both sides.

“It was a troubled relationship and it didn’t last long,” said Mr Cleaver. He said despite the restraining order there had been occasions when Miss Smith initiated contact between them but Ward accepted the obligation was on him not to have any contact with her.