A man has been sent to prison after inflicting brutal beatings on his wife for 15 years.

Kenzar Arnold was given a total of 18 years at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday.

Judge James O’Mahony told the 41-year-old it had been the “worst case of domestic violence short of homicide” he has ever come across in 40 years.

Piers Reed, prosecuting, had told the jury how a car ramming incident in London Road, Larkfield had been the culmination of a catalogue of brutal assaults by Arnold on his wife Dawn.

These included kicking her, punching her in the eye and causing a serious injury and trying to strangle her.

“He was moody and prone to outbursts of temper and was violent towards his wife” - Piers Reed

Mr Reed told the jury that the couple married in September 1993 and remained in a relationship until 2011 when Arnold moved out. But they saw each other from time to time and continued having sex.

Not long after they married Arnold, formerly of West Kingsdown, became extremely jealous and would not allow his wife to visit her family, Mr Reed said.

“He was moody and prone to outbursts of temper and was violent towards his wife,” he added.

“His behaviour was fuelled by drink. Each time his wife tried to go out on her own Arnold’s mother and father, who lived next door, would tell him. He would come back and assault his wife.”

Mr Reed said on one occasion Arnold hit his wife so hard that he broke the bone beneath her eye and she had to have reconstructive surgery. She was told by him to say she had slipped in the bathroom.

Another time, when she visited her mother - which she was forbidden to do by Arnold - he punched and kicked her. He also punched her in the eye when he found out from his mother that she had bought a game for her children just days before she gave birth.

Arnold also kicked his wife, breaking her wrist when she fell, and another time grabbed her by the throat and tried to strangle her. Mrs Arnold turned blue and lost consciousness, Mr Reed said.

"This is one of the most serious cases of domestic violence I have encountered" - DC Shelley Rainer

She went to a refuge but returned home after Arnold told her it wouldn’t happen again. The police also got involved after the attempted strangling but Mr Reed told the jury: “When push came to shove she would not give evidence against him, either because she was too frightened or because she believed him.”

Kenzar had denied three assaults on his wife of causing her actual harm, one charge of wounding her and one of inflicting grievous harm which all happened between January 1993 and March 2009.

He was also convicted of 12 other assault offences

Defence barrister Andy Hill told the court how Arnold was an “industrious hardworking individual” who was now in a long-term relationship with a new partner and has since moved to Surrey.

But Judge O’Mahony said: “I have had to pinch myself to come to terms with the facts of the evidence. I will never forget it.

“I have thought, is this really the United Kingdom in 2015?

“You made her life miserable over years and years.

“You made witnesses come and give evidence and re-live their experiences.”

Investigating officer Detective Constable Shelley Rainer said: "This is one of the most serious cases of domestic violence I have encountered, and Kenzar Arnold’s victim has displayed tremendous courage in speaking up about the terrible abuse she has been put through.

"She has suffered both physically and emotionally for the past 20 years and been subjected to a number of horrendous attacks by a man who is clearly incapable of keeping his temper under control.

"He thoroughly deserves the lengthy sentence imposed on him by the courts, and I hope his victim takes some comfort from this.

"I also hope this case sends a message to other victims of domestic violence that you need not suffer in silence, and that everything reported to police will be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly."