A “deplorable” father-to-be who launched a flying kick at his pregnant partner’s stomach before stamping on her abdomen has been jailed.

James Flynn dragged her along the ground during the attack outside her Dover home after she shouted: “I’m pregnant you idiot.”

She had to be rushed to hospital with suspected liver damage.

“Mercifully” the victim and her baby did not sustain significant injury, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Handing down a 16-month sentence, the judge, Recorder Angus Withington QC, said the "deplorable attack" by the 34-year-old on his partner saw him fly-kick her in the stomach, causing her to stumble backwards.

“You verbally abused her and dragged her around the ground and aggressively stamped on her stomach," he continued.

“That, in fact, would have been appalling in any circumstance but this is magnified by the fact she was carrying your child.

“Mercifully she does not appear to have significant injury and I hope the same can be said for the baby.”

Flynn’s sustained attack left his victim with bruising to her face, fingers and stomach, while hospital medics ruled out suspected liver damage.

Flynn was intoxicated when he launched the attack on a September afternoon last year, prosecutors said.

“He ran, jumped, and did what can be described as a flying-kick towards her stomach,” Joseph Carr, prosecuting, said.

And after she protected her abdomen from Flynn’s foot he kicked the side of her stomach and then repeatedly kicked a panel of her car.

“She shouted ‘I’m pregnant you idiot,’ to which he replied ‘I don’t give a damn’.”

“The defendant approached the vehicle and turned his attention to damaging that,” Mr Carr said.

“She shouted ‘I’m pregnant you idiot,’ to which he replied ‘I don’t give a damn’.”

Flynn’s victim appeared in the public gallery and handed the judge a letter requesting her evidence be withdrawn.

After jailing Flynn, Recorder Withington QC told her: “I hope that your pregnancy proceeds to a good conclusion.”

Mitigating, William Sneddon said: “Mr Flynn is disgusted with his actions and is genuinely sorry for the harm that he caused.”

He added Flynn has worked to address mental health problems since being on remand and since “reconciled” with his partner.

Flynn, of no fixed abode but residing with his victim at the time, pleaded guilty to occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and fraud by false representation at an early opportunity.

The fraud charge related to an unauthorised £75 transaction from the woman’s bank account.