A HOMELESS man has been jailed for stamping on his ex-girlfriend’s stomach so hard that he left afootprint-shaped bruise.
Jay Twaites had been drinking all day at a friend’s house before he became abusive and violent andpunched her to the face before kicking her on the ground.
The owner of the house called 999 during the attack and the victim could be heard in the backgroundscreaming and begging Twaites to stop punching her.
She had cuts and bruises all over her face and body and told police he had ‘battered her left,right and centre. Police found a shoe print visible on her bruised stomach.
Homeless Twaites, aged 25, now of Medway Road, Torquay, admitted assault causing actual bodily harmand was jailed for ten months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.
He told him: ‘This wasa prolonged assault using your hands and feet. You were drunk and you know fromyour offending history that you can misbehave when you are drunk.’
Miss Philippa Harper, prosecuting, said Twaites and his ex-partner were both visiting a mutual friendin Paignton on February 5 when they started arguing and she asked him to leave.
He responded by becoming aggressive and trying to grab her phone as she was calling the police.He punched her in the face, knocked her to the ground, and kicked her in theface stomach and legs.
Police saw the footmark on her stomach and swelling and bruising to her face and legs.
Mr Paul Dentith,defending, said Twaites suffers from epilepsy and mental health issues whichmay include schizophrenia. He was living a chaotic life at the time and was unable to access the treatment he needed because he was homeless.
He acts as a carer for his mother, who suffers from a neurological disease, and his detention in custody since his arrest has led his sister to suspend her university veterinary course to look after her.