by Paul Hooper

Bullying Robert Jeffrey couldn’t come to terms with the fact his lover had a one-night stand... even though they were on a break.

The violent boyfriend had persuaded her to return to him to patch up their rocky relationship.

But in May he began demanding to know if while they were apart she had remained faithful, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

But when Jennifer Jones admitted that she had a one-night stand..Jeffrey turned violent again and smashed up a wardrobe.

And days later, after drinking, he launched a ferocious assault on Miss Jones, punching and stamping on the defenceless victim.

Jeffrey, of Lowther Road, Dover admitted assaulting Miss Jones – a woman he had assaulted in the past – and causing criminal damage.

Judge Adele Williams, in jailing Jeffrey for two years, told him: “In April 2010 you were given a conditional discharge for assaulting the same victim. In my judgement, drink is clearly a problem for you.

Prosecutor Edmund Burge said: “Jeffrey spent the weekend with his long-term partner Miss Jones from whom he had had a quite lengthy break.

“Miss Jones had agreed to try to make the relationship work again.

“It seems as part of the reconciliation process he wanted to know if while they were separated she had in fact slept with anyone.

“After some deliberation she decided to admit she had one occasion had a one-night stand with someone. Jeffrey didn’t take that very well at all,” he added.

An argument broke out which resulted in Jeffrey taking out his anger out on her wardrobe, “smashing it to pieces”.

Mr Burge added: “A few days later Miss Jones went to work and returned to find him still in bed at 3pm.

“She could see that he had been drinking all day as there were eight empty cans of beer in the premises.

“They both went to the pub and had a few drinks before returning to her home at 11.30pm. Jeffrey started another argument. It turned physical while they were in the kitchen.

“He pushed her with such force that she ended up on the floor and she remembers him leaning over her and abusing her, making reference to the one-night stand.

"He repeatedly punched her as she covered her face to protect herself.

“While she was still on the ground he began kicking and stamping on her.

"He was verbally abusing her saying he hated her and wished that she were dead.

“She must have passed out because she could remember nothing until 1.30am the following day when she awoke to find that both her eyes were closed and bruised.

"She also had bruises to her head, arms, ribs, and chest and ears. She thought part of her hair had been pulled out.”

Jeffrey was also ordered to stay away from Miss Jones for two years.