A man hit his ex-partner in the face with a lump of wood and smashed every window in her car after an argument about money.

Canterbury Crown Court was told that Charles Wicks, 25, went to Natalie Manser’s home in Faversham after he had been drinking and taking cocaine.

Sentencing Wicks to 14 months in prison, Judge Simon James told him he was a violent bully when he was drunk.

Wicks, of Orchard View,, Teynham, admitted assaulting Miss Manser, possessing an offensive weapon and criminal damage.

Amanda Kelly, prosecuting, told the court that Wicks and Miss Manser had been in a relationship for more than three years but this had broken up not long before the offences happened.

On the night of July 29 Wicks turned up uninvited at Miss Manser’s home in Lion Field and appeared to be drunk. He said he'd bought take-away food which she said she did not need.

He left but returned in the early hours and woke up Miss Manser by shouting outside the front door.

"Wicks carried on shouting and Miss Manser told him to stop," Miss Kelly said. "She decided to go down and calm him down. Wicks picked up a newspaper and hit her with it.

"He then went into the garden and came back with a piece of wood wrapped in something. He used this to hit her and poke her in the face."

At this point Miss Manser’s young son came down the stairs and Wicks stopped, Miss Kelly said.

"Your conduct was clearly designed to strike fear in your former partner and her son. You are a violent bully when drunk" - Judge Simon James

"After threatening her Wicks went outside and smashed the windows on her car," Miss Kelly added. "When the police arrived Wicks was still standing outside with the wood in his hands. He was very agitated."

Wicks told police he had taken cocaine that evening.

Miss Manser said she was angry that the incident had happened in front of her young child. The assault left her face swollen and bruised and she no longer wanted anything to do with Wicks.

Wicks had previous convictions for obstructing a police officer, being drunk and disorderly, assaulting a policeman, a public order offence and criminal damage.

Kate Hunter, defending, said the evening was a blur to Wicks and he could remember little of what happened.

"The wood was to damage her car and not to hit her," she said. "There was an argument over money that evening and one thing led to another. He is remorseful. He has a drink and drug problem and this leads him to get into these situations."

Judge James said: "You deliberately armed yourself with a lump of wood and caused, in my opinion, significant bruising to her eye socket. You then used the wood to systematically smash every window in her car.

"Your conduct was clearly designed to strike fear in your former partner and her son. You are a violent bully when drunk.

"In the past you have been offered any number of opportunities to change but seem unwilling or unable to take them."

Wicks was ordered to pay £100 victim surcharge and given a restraining order banning him from going near Miss Manser’s home or place of work.