An abusive boyfriend who threatened to kill his teenage lover's unborn child with garden shears before kicking her down a flight of stairs has been jailed for five months.

Richard Somosu pointed scissors and garden shears at Michaela Kent's stomach before strangling and kicking her from behind down some 14 steps at his home.

Maidstone Crown Court heard he flew into a jealous rage when he saw messages on his 19-year-old girlfriend's phone on the morning of June 3 this year before biting the mobile and then threatening her unborn baby.

John Fairhead, prosecuting, said: “Michaela went to hospital because not only has she fallen down the stairs but also she had been kicked down the stairs.

"She was clearly taken by surprise with her back to him.

“He had made threats with a pair of scissors and garden shears; he didn’t do anything with them, but he pointed them at her stomach.

“She says that she was scared by the defendant’s threats to come and punch or kick her stomach so that she would lose the baby."

Referring to marks on her neck, he said: “She said among other things that he did, he was strangling her so that she couldn’t breathe.

“I suggest that the facts are consistent with her explanation and not his.

"He was strangling her so that she couldn’t breathe" - prosecutor John Fairhead

"She says the heated argument was about messages that she had received on her phone and that the defendant was actually put, if you like, in a jealous rage by.”

Miss Kent had made a 999 call the night before the alleged attack as she travelled from Dagenham in east London to stay at his home in Higham.

Mr Fairhead said: “It was late at night, she no money, the last train had gone; furthermore she wanted to hoped there would be a reconciliation with her partner, not only her partner, however abusive he was, but he was the father of her child.”

The bearded defendant had admitted criminally damaging Miss Kent’s mobile phone when the row “blew up” again the following morning.

Mr Fairhead said Miss Kent locked herself in a bathroom and texted her grandmother to “rescue her” using her iPad after the 29-year-old bit her phone.

When paramedics arrived at Somosu's home, Mr Fairhead said: “The defendant, they were saying, was very keen to answer questions while they were questioning her about what happened, he would constantly be butting in answering a question, she would look at him.”

"A neighbour heard slaps, screams, a female pleading 'please don’t hit me'" - prosecutor John Fairhead

He told jurors that a neighbour “heard slaps, screams, a female pleading, ‘please don’t hit me’ and he says he saw the defendant hitting Michaela.”

Mr Fairhead added: “He suggested they made up the story about her falling down the stairs because that way she would be treated as a priority.

"She not only maintained the pretence that she had fallen down the stairs but she had actually gone to embellish it, that he kicked her down the stairs - that was entirely her invention if you like.”

Somosu, of Irvine Road, Higham, was found not guilty of attempting to wound Miss Kent.

But he was found guilty of an alternative count of assault by beating and admitted criminal damage.

He was jailed for five months for the common assault, and one month concurrent for the criminal damage.

He was also given an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting his victim and ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge.

No prosecution costs were awarded.