AN Ipswich man has been jailed for six months after being convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend and a teenage girl.

AN Ipswich man has been jailed for six months after being convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend and a teenage girl.

Domenic Denton, of Jasmine Close, had pleaded not guilty to the two charges of assault by beating but was convicted in his absence following a trial at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court.

Magistrates yesterday heard that his ex-partner, Nicola Thompson, had been round a friend's house on October 14 last year when 19-year-old Denton had arrived.

Efforts were made to ensure he could not get in to the house but he managed to get in before the back door could be locked.

David Taylor prosecuting said: "Miss Thompson ran to the front of the house and tried to get out but he caught up with her.

"He head-butted her above the right eye then started punching her in the head and arm, where she was trying to protect her face. He hit her about six or seven times."

The court heard that he forced her to leave the house with him.

Mr Taylor said: "He said, 'Don't make me beat you to get you out of the house, so come on'. They went out and he was swearing at her and dragging her into the garden towards the car. She went because she was scared.

"He drove to Bobbits Lane and then to Tesco at Copdock. He said to her that by the end of the night she was going to have a broken nose, be smashed up and going to end up in hospital.

"He drove to Colchester and then apologised and said he loved her."

Miss Thompson was left

terrified by the incident and had feared for her life.

The court went on to hear how Denton later assaulted a teenage girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Mr Taylor, said: "He kicked her in the left ankle and pulled her across the room. She got up to her feet and he grabbed her again and dragged her upstairs.

"He punched her to the head, threw shoes at her and threatened to put her in hospital."

Magistrates heard Denton had a number of previous

convictions for violence, the last three of which resulted in

custodial sentences.

Sentencing Denton to four months in prison for the assault on Miss Thompson and two months, to run consecutively, for the attack on the teenager, magistrates told him that due to the deliberate, unprovoked and persistent nature of the offences custody was the only sentence they could pass.

While in court, Denton also pleaded not guilty to two offences of threatening to destroy the property of others and a charge of breaching a restraining order relating to Miss Thompson. These were adjourned until August 6 for committal to Ipswich Crown Court.

He will appear before

magistrates again on July 23 for breaching a young offenders release licence and he also faces three further charges, two for the improper use of a telecommunication system and one of criminal damage.