A thug who left the mother of his child "unrecognisable" from a ferocious beating told police he had "destroyed her face".

Kieron Deacy made a harrowing 999 call after he had viciously assaulted his ex-partner with such force that he broke her jaw in three places.

The young mum had to undergo three hours of surgery to rebuild her face with metal plates following the attack on August 10.

She also suffered a broken nose, lost six teeth and initially stayed away from her young son as she feared she would scare him.

But Canterbury Crown Court heard it was not the first time she had suffered at Deacy's hands.

The 26-year-old abuser had assaulted her on three previous occasions, twice while she was holding their baby in her arms, and in attacks that involved headbutting and strangulation.

At the time of his latest violent outburst, he was subject to a lifetime ban on contacting her or going within 150ft of her.

But it was while together in Folkestone that he unleashed a rage that resulted in him calling the emergency services himself.

Now, the dad has been jailed, and ruled to be dangerous by a judge after she highlighted the attitudes underpinning his behaviour, including sexual jealousy, paranoia, and "elements of male entitlement".

At one point in his sentencing hearing on Thursday (December 19) as the victim's statement was read out, Deacy leant forward on a desk in a prison video link room to bury his head in his arms.

He then interrupted proceedings to dispute, correctly as it transpired, the assertion that he had been on licence from prison at the time of the attack, accusing the prosecutor of "Talking s*** again".

But the court heard how others on the receiving end of his "indiscriminate" temper over the years had included a teacher, fellow pupil, his mother and step-father, another ex-partner, members of the public and police.

Detailing the latest assault on his one-time girlfriend, prosecutor James Harrison said police arrived at a property in Buffs Avenue after being alerted by Deacy.

"He rang them himself and said he had 'destroyed her face'. He described her being unable to move, unable to breath and being unconscious," he told the court.

"She could be heard in the background of that call but was unable to articulate words."

On arrival, police were directed to a nearby path off Fusilier Avenue where they found Deacy. He had been drinking, his clothing was covered in blood and he had two cuts to a knuckle.

Officers then heard a woman scream and were told by Deacy where they would find her and to "check on her".

Mr Harrison told the hearing that body-worn camera footage of her being discovered was "distressing" and therefore was not played in court.

However, describing the moment another officer first saw the victim in hospital, the prosecutor said: "He said he did not recognise her. Her clothes were covered in blood, and she had a deep laceration above her left eye, through the eyebrow.

"Her left eye was severely swollen as was her jaw. She had multiple teeth missing and she had two lacerations which appeared to go completely through her left cheek.

"At that time, she was essentially unable to communicate. She was unable to close her mouth. She was, unsurprisingly, in a state of shock, shaking and crying."

Photos of her wounds were also not shown in court but, on sentencing Deacy, the judge said they depicted "extraordinarily" serious injuries.

Deacy has changed me as a person and he has changed how I live my life...

The court heard the young woman needed round-the-clock care which left her feeling "like a child again" but with extensive physical and mental injuries, and struggling to come to terms with her ordeal.

She also took to wearing a burqa in public so people she knew would not see her and ask what happened, and continues to fear her former boyfriend will one day kill her - and even their child.

In a moving victim impact statement read to the court she described how the happy life she was building with her child had "crashed" following the attack.

"I am no longer the person I was before August 10, 2024. Deacy has changed me as a person and he has changed how I live my life. Before this day I was building a happy life for me and my son. Life was good.

"Since this day I feel like this life I was building crashed and I am disassociated from my life and reality.

"I feel like the days move on but I am watching this happening to someone else. I am not sure if this is because I am still trying to come to terms with what happened to me.

"My family have since told me how they feared I was going to die due to the degree of my injuries. Knowing now the extent of my injuries following the assault, I understand why they had this fear.

"Deacy, the biological father of my son, could have killed me and left my son without his mum."

The court also heard how she believed he had deliberately aimed his blows at her face.

"When I was first shown (my injuries) I didn't recognise myself anymore. It was like someone else was looking back at me and has been like this for a long time since," she continued.

"I cannot explain the turmoil of emotions I felt looking at my own face. I told him when we were in a relationship how, despite my dislikes for other areas of myself, I liked my face. I feel this is why he has targeted my face."

As well as requiring ongoing treatment for her injuries, the mum has been left with a significant scar to her cheek, lack of movement in an eyebrow, headaches, hip pain and eating difficulties.

How the assault affected her son was also detailed.

"After the incident I initially stayed away from my son, not wanting him to see me in the state I was in. I stayed away as I didn't know if he would recognise me and, if he did, would I scare him," she explained.

The separation was short-lived however due to the effect it was having on the boy.

Once reunited, the youngster was told she had fallen over, but the mum said that as much as she had tried to protect him, he also needed support, and had told a teacher he was "sad about Mummy's red (bloodshot) eyes".

"How do I explain to my son how his biological father did this to me?" she added. "I am scared about the future and what happens next.

"He (Deacy) has told me before that he would kill me and my son if I left him. On August 10 he nearly carried out this threat and killed me.

"He is a risk to both of us and I fear next time he was given the opportunity he would kill me or both of us.

"I will never be able to escape that biologically he helped to father my son, but I don't want him anywhere near either of us ever again.

He is a risk to both of us and I fear next time he was given the opportunity he would kill me or both of us...

"I do not want to run the risk of fear becoming my reality."

She had already moved home to get away from Deacy, of Marine Parade, Hythe, following their split, and it was in April 2021 that a conviction for assault causing actual bodily harm had led to the indefinite restraining order being made.

On that occasion he had punched her multiple times to the head and strangled her while she was holding their son. Less than a year earlier, she had also been headbutted by him, again while the youngster was in her arms

The court heard his 10 previous convictions for 26 offences also include an assault against a different partner as recent as February this year, as well as numerous breaches of restraining orders and offences of battery, criminal damage and sending threatening communications.

Of the attack in August, Mr Harrison said: "This was effectively the fourth incident of violence against the same victim, the fifth in a domestic context, and targeting of the face.

"This was a prolonged and persistent assault, the ferocity of which is demonstrated not just by the extent of her injuries but also by the injuries the defendant sustained to his knuckles."

But, describing Deacy's former girlfriend as "a resilient woman", Mr Harrison said it was "by luck rather than judgement" on her abuser's part that her injuries were not more serious.

Deacy subsequently pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and breach of a restraining order.

Although it was said he was immature and lacked both emotional intelligence and problem solving skills, the court heard he had started to show "a glimmer of hope" while in custody on remand.

Phil Rowley, defending, said his client was developing insight into his offending and displaying a willingness to address his difficulties, including anger management, alcohol and drug misuse, and his "impulsivity in stressful situations" stemming from his ADHD diagnosis.

The lawyer also told the court it could be "reassured by his anxiousness to reduce the risk of future offending", and described how Deacy had been "visibly shaken and upset" when first shown the photographs of his ex-partner's injuries.

But on jailing him for six years under what is known as an extended sentence for public protection, Judge Sarah Counsell said the images "should live with him for a very long time".

"They are extraordinarily serious injuries caused to someone who you have been in a relationship with and have loved," she told Deacy.

She also highlighted the concerns that had led to her concluding Deacy was a dangerous offender, including his tendency to minimise his actions and victim-blame.

Reading from a probation report that had assessed the risk he posed, Judge Counsell told the court: "His temper is indiscriminate and not restricted to intimate relationships.

"His outbursts against members of the public, family and ex-partners would suggest he has learnt to use anger as a tool to yield results."

Under his extended sentence, Deacy will have to serve at least two-thirds of his six-year jail term before he can apply for parole, and will only be released when it is deemed safe to do so.

Once freed, he will have an extra two years added to any licence period, with the indefinite restraining order still in force.

The victim was at court, supported by family and police, but did not wish to comment to KentOnline at the end of proceedings.