A thug attacked a former lover as she cradled their child, punching her and threatening to "put the baby in the ground" if she called the police.

Scaffolder Jacob Cloke, 27, has now been jailed for two years after he pleaded guilty to assault.

A charge of making threats to kill, which he denied, was dropped.

Prosecutor Tanya Robinson told Maidstone Crown Court how Cloke and the victim had been "in and out of a relationship" for more than a year.

On October 2 he went to her home in Chatham and went through her mobile phone.

"He then started to shout in her face about personal messages. He was aggressive and angry and scared her because she knew he had a temper," said the prosecutor.

The victim, holding their two month old child in her arms, walked towards the bedroom to settle the child.

"As she did so, the defendant slapped her across the face and punched her hard in the ribs. She was terrified and pleaded with him to stop.

"It was then he told her to stay saying 'If you want to act like a dog I'll treat you like a dog'," said Ms Robinson.

The court heard that he then allowed her to go to the shops to withdraw money for him so he could buy more drugs but made sure the child stayed behind.

Cloke told her: "If you call the police, I will put the baby in the ground."

On her return she was punched "with a clenched fist" on multiple occasions, later telling police she was worried "that she was not going to make it out alive".

The prosecutor said that as the victim clutched the child again, Cloke kicked her almost causing her to fall and then kicked her on her leg.

She told officers she was left dizzy and feeling pain all over her body and two days later contacted friends by video and pleaded: "Help me!"

Ms Robinson said the friend had described the victim as dishevelled and "looked as if she had been dragged through a bush backwards".

Cloke was heard telling her if anyone came to help she would get it "ten-times worse".

The prosecutor said the victim told a friend: "If you don't hear from me by 9pm, please come to the house to make sure I am alive."

When police arrived, Cloke, of High Street, St Mary's Cray, Orpington, was hiding outside.

Judge Julian Smith heard how Cloke has convictions for robbery and attacking a previous lover.

He has now been banned from going near the victim for the next four years.

Simon Taylor, defending, said that at the time Cloke was a cocaine addict and has since been diagnosed with severe adult ADHD.

"This was a deplorable course of events but he is remorseful," he said.

The judge told him the attack was a "sustained and disturbing assault in the presence of children".

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