A jealous thug smashed his way into his ex-girlfriend’s car and viciously attacked her in front of their distraught young child, a court heard.

Paul Maunder repeatedly punched Hannah Doherty in the head, face and body.

The mother was showered in glass as she sat trapped in the front passenger seat, while her 20-month-old son screamed in the back seat.

Jailing Maunder for two years, a judge said: "What can be more frightening for a child than seeing his father set about his mother in the way I have been told?"

The 28-year-old pounced after waiting outside the victim’s home in Dartford in August last year.

He had earlier phoned Miss Doherty at her nursery assistant job and threatened to stab her when she refused to say if she was in a new relationship.

Maidstone Crown Court was told they had parted in November 2015 after two years together. Their son was born afterwards.

After the threatening call, Miss Doherty collected her son and headed home to her new partner, Michael Foran.

"Your little boy would have been absolutely terrified by what his father was doing to his mother" - Judge Philip Statman, to Maunder

As she pulled up, she saw Maunder - said to be a schizophrenic who self-medicates with cocaine and cannabis - running towards her.

She retreated back into the car and locked the doors.

Prosecutor Daniel Stevenson said Maunder threw a bottle at Mr Foran and screamed at Miss Doherty to open the door.

"When she refused, he punched the passenger window and then kicked the window in, causing the glass to smash and spread into the car, hitting Miss Doherty,” he said.

"She raised her arms to defend herself and the defendant effectively dived into the car across the front passenger seat and swung his fists at her.

"Miss Doherty said it was a frenzied attack, punching her in the face, head, shoulder and arm. It didn't stop until Mr Foran pulled the defendant out of the car by his legs."

Undeterred, Maunder chased him away, shouting "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to open you up, I'm going to cut you, I'm going to go to prison for what I'm going to do".

He then continued to assault Miss Doherty as she got out of the car and grabbed her crying and “very scared” son.

She cradled the boy in her arms, but Maunder pinned her against a garden wall and punched her three more times.

Maunder followed her as she fled to a nearby pizza takeaway.

Some of the violence was captured on a driver's dashcam.

Told of Maunder’s use of illegal drugs to control his mental condition, Judge Philip Statman said: "That is a disaster waiting to happen."

Maunder, of Priory Hill, Dartford, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm, affray, making a threat to kill and making a malicious communication with intent to cause distress.

Previous convictions included harassment of another ex-girlfriend, as well as battery and assaulting police.

Judge Statman told Maunder: "All of your criminal activity was committed in the presence of your little boy, who would have been absolutely terrified by what his father was doing to his mother.

"She was vulnerable and you committed a sustained attack on her as she carried her child."

The considerable violence and aggression, he said, demonstrated he intended to cause more serious harm than he did.

The judge made a five-year restraining order banning contact with the victim.