A 21-year-old cannabis addict who beat up his former partner has been sentenced to 180 days in prison.

Grant Laslett admitted lashing out at his girlfriend on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day while in the grip of rage fuelled by a £120-a-week cannabis habit.

Magistrates at Margate heard that Laslett, from Manston Road, Ramsgate, assaulted his lover after she returned home from a Christmas shopping trip.

She had repeatedly told him that she had been to Argos in Ramsgate but Laslett refused to believe her and threw a TV remote control at her arm. The victim called her mother for help and a taxi was sent to collect her.

But as she was making her escape Laslett began punching her in the head, before dragging her out of the lift.

Police were called by the taxi driver.

Toyin Kuti, prosecuting, said that Laslett asked police: “Have you no compassion? It’s Christmas.”

He admitted he had slapped her and said: “I thought she was cheating on me.”

Lastlett was released on bail on condition he would not contact the victim or break his curfew.

But on New Year’s Eve the pair met at Westwood Cross in Thanet. He told her how sorry he was and asked if he could go to her flat and she agreed.

The victim said everything appeared to be going well. Then all of a sudden Laslett’s mood changed. He told her he was going to finish the job off properly, and slapped her a few times on the legs.

She grabbed his mobile phone, locked herself in the bathroom and called the police. When officers arrived Lastlett had jumped out of a window.

They tracked him down to his home where he claimed he had not seen his former girlfriend, but during interview he admitted breaking his bail conditions and then admitted having a row with the victim. He also said that if she hadn’t locked herself in the bathroom it would have got a lot worse.

Kath Wallen, defending, told the court: “He knows he has done wrong and should be punished.

“He has had his fair share of problems. From the age of five he has had no formal education. He has a mental age of about eight to 12 years and is extremely suggestible.

“Unfortunately what he was doing was experiencing paranoia from smoking a large amount of cannabis.”