A thug put his girlfriend in fear for her life by assaulting her, putting a pillow over her face and pulling a cord tight around her neck, a court heard.

After being dumped by Callie-Anne Poole, Luke Chawla went to her flat when she was out and trashed it, spraying ketchup everywhere.

Chawla, of The Avenue, Gravesend, was jailed for 20 months after admitting battery, making threats to kill and burglary.

It was the second time the 22-year-old had been locked up for committing offences against a girlfriend.

In October 2013, he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years youth custody by the same judge for breaching a restraining order not to contact the woman, telling her he was capable of murder, and burgling her home in Sittingbourne.

Chawla learned for the first time at Maidstone Crown Court last Tuesday that Miss Poole was pregnant with his child.

"He said he was going to kill her on more than one occasion. She honestly thought he was going to kill her" - Prosecutor Matthew Turner

It was revealed by prosecutor Matthew Turner who apologised on discovering Chawla did not know he was to become a father again.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the couple had only been in a relationship a few weeks when they argued on July 5 last year about him refusing to hand over the keys to her flat in Sheerness.

Mr Turner said Chawla grabbed the victim by the throat, pushed her on the bed and pinned her down by her wrists. She had broken one of her wrists and was in pain.

He slapped her twice and would not let her go, despite her distress and pleas. He put a pillow over her face so that she could not breathe.

She managed to push him off but he then used a vacuum cleaner cord to throttle her. Again, she struggled to breathe.

He demanded her phone so she could not call the police, but she had it under her bed and managed to record what happened.

“He said he was going to kill her on more than one occasion,” said Mr Turner. “She honestly thought he was going to kill her.”

Chawla went to the kitchen and fetched a knife, held it to his throat and said he would kill himself. She eventually persuaded him to hand it over.

He left the flat and, after she ended the relationship, he returned on August 6, kicked in the door and trashed the flat.

A restraining order was made, banning contact with Miss Poole. The judge said any contact regarding the child should be made through solicitors.