A violent thug kicked the mother of his child in the face after wrongly accusing her of seeing someone else.

Ronald Gabriel booted his helpless victim two or three times after punching her in the head and pulling her to the ground outside her house.

Canterbury Crown Court heard the brutal assault took place just four days after another attack by the 44-year-old on his former partner.

Now Gabriel, of Lower Herne Road, Herne, has been jailed for two years after he was convicted of common assault, assault by beating and criminal damage.

Prosecutor Mary Jacobson said Gabriel started a relationship with his ex-partner in 2013. They had a child in 2016 and broke up in the spring of 2017.

On August 12 last year Gabriel went to his ex-partner’s home to collect his son. He got angry and threatened to damage the house, saying he would drive a bulldozer through it.

He refused to leave, accused his ex-partner of hitting his head and punched her in her left eye.

Four days later Gabriel and his ex-partner met at a pub for a contact session with their son. His ex-partner left at 8pm and at 9pm Gabriel arrived at her home drunk with two bottles of champagne.

He accused her of seeing someone else, threw a glass at the fireplace and pulled a kitchen drawer from its runners, causing £500 damage. He then punched her in the face and head several times.

She ran outside, where Gabriel pulled her to the ground, hit her and kicked her in the face, taking her phone before running off.

He was arrested and denied the assaults, saying his ex-partner, a teacher, had got drunk and fallen over.

In a statement to the court the victim said the injuries had caused her pain and made it hard for her to care for her son, putting a strain on her family.

“He took my phone and I lost all the photos of my son,” she said. She added that she now suffered from headaches and worried about the long-term consequences.

Gabriel has 19 previous convictions for 40 offences, including assaulting a different partner, driving offences, shoplifting, criminal damage, obstructing a policeman, failing to surrender and possessing cocaine.

Oliver Kirk, defending, said the relationship between the couple was deeply unsatisfactory, characterised by the misuse of alcohol and drugs.

“Gabriel is now showing some recognition of his behaviour,” Mr Kirk said. “That is a genuine step in the right direction. He has put this relationship behind him.”

Recorder Simon Stirling told Gabriel: "This offence is so serious only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”

In addition to the jail sentence, Gabriel was given a restraining order and told to pay a £140 victim surcharge.