AN IPSWICH man who headbutted his girlfriend while on bail for assaulting her is today behind bars.Raul Baptista Verdades de Sa was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for each of the assaults on his 20-year-old lover.

AN IPSWICH man who headbutted his girlfriend while on bail for assaulting her is today behind bars.

Raul Baptista Verdades de Sa was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for each of the assaults on his 20-year-old lover.

Verdades de Sa, of Ipswich YMCA, was awaiting sentence for a previous assault on Adama Giquia when she let him into her home on March 25 and he attacked her.

David Hutson, prosecuting, said the 33-year-old had headbutted Miss Giquia and punched her at least three times before police were called to the address by a member of the public.

In the previous incident on March 3 Verdades de Sa had attacked his then girlfriend in the street.

Mr Hutson said: “She says she had been in a relationship with him for three months and said there were previous problems with violence although it never came to the authorities' attention.

“On the day in question there had been an argument and she was wailing in Civic Drive when he pulled up in a motor vehicle and she says he came across to her and pinned her against a wall using both his hands.

“What she says is that he slapped her across the face and then proceeded to drag her into an alley between Civic Drive and Portman Road.”

Mr Hutson said Miss Giquia had claimed she was pushed and fell to the floor.

Her partner pleaded guilty to assault on March 15 and was released on bail with conditions not to contact her.

It was while on bail that the second offence was committed.

Appearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, the fine art student admitted both offences and apologised for his behaviour.

Sentencing him District Judge David Cooper said: “These offences are so serious I must impose a term of imprisonment.

“What makes it so serious is that this was domestic violence. You headbutted your young girlfriend and you punched her at least three times in a sustained attack.

“At the time you were on bail for assaulting her albeit to a much lesser degree.”

Judge Cooper sentenced him to 12 weeks in prison for each offence to run concurrently.

Have you been a victim of domestic violence? Write to: Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail: eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.