A thug who preyed on women has been jailed after beating his former partner.

David Joynes, 40, punched, kicked and bit her and pushed his thumbs into her eyes while his sister slept in a room just yards away.

His victim had previously taken out a non-molestation order on him after a previous attack, but was left with injuries to her face, ears, eyes and the top of her head.

Joynes, a father-of-two, started the attack as the couple drove out of Medway to Sheerness.

The terrified woman tried to get out of the car and opened the door. Joynes pushed her out of the vehicle but then pulled her back in by her hair.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the woman had been feeling emotional that day as a mutual friend of hers and Joynes’ had died, and had contacted him even though they were apart at the time.

Joynes had previously been jailed for 14 months for carrying out another attack on the same woman.

Deborah Charles, prosecuting, said they met up and had drinks at various pubs. She said: “He had been touchy-feely towards her and they had kissed, but she didn’t want anything further to happen and she would not be staying the night with him.”

Joynes, who has lived in Medway for most of his life, had booked a hotel room and as the pair drove off together towards Sheerness, they started to argue about the hotel.

Joynes - who moved from Gillingham to his sister’s home in Winstanley Road, Sheerness four weeks before the attack - then took the woman to his bedroom and got angry about her having a relationship with another man while he was in prison.

It is at this point he punched her in the face, stamped on her and then pushed his thumbs into her eyes and also bit her on the cheek and lower lip.

"You made her feel like she was in the presence of a monster" - Judge Martin Joy

He placed his hand over her mouth and told her to be quiet but her muffled cries were heard by his sister’s dogs, who began barking and woke up their owner.

Joynes was due to stand trial but entered a guilty plea on the day it was due to start.

During his sentencing, the court heard Joynes had 18 convictions for 34 offences, including actual bodily harm, wounding, affray, assault on police, common assault and possession of cocaine, and he started offending in 1994.

The woman had let him back into her life after an earlier attack and he had punched her in the face and ribs and kicked her on at least three different occasions.

Andrew Bourne defending, said his client had taken steps to address his alcohol problem while in prison and was a peer supporter to other inmates.

Joynes was jailed for two years. A restraining order was also granted preventing him going near his victim, her children and another family member.

Judge Martin Joy told Joynes: “Your record of convictions is disgraceful and you have a history of domestic violence against female partners.

“You have a penchant for violence towards women. You are controlling and a danger to any person who is a partner or prospective partner. You made her feel like she was in the presence of a monster.

“You should be ashamed of yourself you acted in a monstrous way and you have committed violent offences for over 20 years. No society can tolerate this degree of domestic violence. It is a nasty crime.”

After sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Rebecca Saunders said: "There is never any excuse for the type of violence David Joynes displayed towards his partner at the time, nor any type of domestic abuse.

"His behaviour has no place in a civilised society and he has quite rightly been handed a custodial sentence for his actions.

"I hope this result gives other victims of domestic abuse the courage to speak up, knowing they do not need to suffer in silence and that there is plenty of support available."