A woman whose life was made a "misery" by her abusive boyfriend told a court he forced her to have his initials tattooed on her body.

"Jealous" Kenny McMahan - who now has convictions for attacking three partners - is behind bars after admitting two assaults on his ex-girlfriend, as well as smashing up her car.

His victim told Maidstone Crown Court she feared for her life during the relationship and is now desperate to regain her confidence.

During the trial, the judge said McMahan, 31, formerly of Herne Bay, was a jealous man and prone to losing his temper when he didn’t get his own way.

He had struck his girlfriend with his hand twice, once leaving her with a black eye - with probation concluding he was "a risk to women in the future".

Prosecutor Laurence Imrie also told the court how McMahan caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to her car after smashing it, leaving it covered in blood.

He said: "One of the assaults happened very near to the victim's birthday in Blackpool, causing bruising to her leg.

"And on the same day in August 2020, he, in essence, smashed her car, damaging a windscreen, the rear-view mirror and the display, causing £8,000 worth of damage."

McMahan pleaded guilty to two assaults and causing criminal damage part-way through his trial.

Sentence was delayed after defence barrister David Lyons argued McMahan had rejected the claim made in his victim's impact statement.

She wrote: "I am a 26-year-old woman who has suffered mental violence from McMahan during the time of our relationship. McMahan has made my life a misery.

"Still, to this day, I have flashbacks. One thing I have to remind myself is that I am lucky to be alive."

"He seemed so charming at the beginning but became unrecognisable at the end..."

She claimed he had made her get a tattoo of his initials on her body, which she later had altered into another design.

The victim - who sat in court as her statement was read out - claimed she feared for her life and was desperate to get her life back and regain her confidence.

She wrote: "I want him to be held to account and punished. He is not a nice person.

"He seemed so charming at the beginning but became unrecognisable at the end."

Mr Lyons interrupted the prosecutor, saying what was alleged was "a tissue of lies which were exposed during cross-examination".

But the judge, Recorder Sarah Counsel, retorted: "It is important I hear what she says. These are in her words the impact on her of the relationship."

The court heard McMahan, who now lives in Widnes, Cheshire, has previous convictions for battery and harassment of previous partners.

"The Crown say that this is the third victim of domestic violence on women involved with McMahan...."

Mr Imrie told the hearing: "The Crown say that this is the third victim of domestic violence on women involved with McMahan.

"During his trial he showed a worrying attitude towards domestic violence, in reference to his previous offences, saying his actions couldn't have been bad as [the victims] had stayed with him."

He added that the builder had minimised his behaviour in the latest attack, saying it had been "blown out of proportion".

A probation officer later concluded McMahan was "a risk to women in the future".

Mr Lyons said McMahan admitted that on two occasions he bruised his former partner, including causing a black eye, after striking out with his hand.

"He accepts that his behaviour was completely wrong," Mr Lyons added.

McMahan received a total sentence of one year and eight months and was made subject to a five-year restraining order.