A TEENAGE mum has told how the father of her children launched a savage attack during which he punched, kicked, burned and whipped her in a jealous rage.

Kane Jones blistered his 17-year-old girlfriend's skin with a heated-up lighter and used an electric cable as a lash during the prolonged beating.

And when the 21-year-old finally let her go to bed he snarled 'Don't let me hear you cry' and the following morning told her it was her fault he had done it.

Jones denied a charge of actual bodily harm but was found guilty following a trial at Swindon Crown Court, even though the victim failed to turn up to give evidence.

In an unusual case, Judge Tim Mousley QC, ruled her witness statement could be read out to the jury, despite her not being there to be cross-examined.

Although a witness summons was issued to get her before the court and she had told police she would attend she 'went missing' on the morning of the trial.

The jury of seven men and five women heard what she told officers hours after the attack, and also saw an album of 106 photos detailing injuries all over her body.

They were told Jones started to argue with his partner of three years about her having boyfriend on the night of June 22.

She told him 'I'm not arguing with you' but at about 11 pm, as she was putting their baby to bed, he started to punch and kick her, leaving her with numerous bruises.

"I covered up to with my arms to protect myself. He said 'Look how she's screaming, she wants someone to hear'. It was like he was talking to himself," she told police.

She said he then took the charger for the baby thermometer and used it as a whip to lash her, leaving marks and breaking the skin.

"I was crying and asking him to stop but this just continued. I don't know how long this lasted," she told officers.

"He picked up a lighter and heated it up, held it against my shoulder and the back of my neck and caused it to blister. I screamed out in agony.

"During the incident Kane put one hand across my face and neck. He also put my face in to the sofa so I couldn't breath."

She said she also recalled him throwing a glass of water in her face before telling her they were going to bed, saying 'Don't let me hear you cry'.

And the following morning, before going off to work as a landscape gardener with his brother, he told her it was her fault he had done it.

"He said to me 'Look what you had me to do', by which he meant it was my fault because I had had boyfriends," she told the police

When Kane was questioned he answered 'no comment' to almost all of the questions and when asked why said 'It's a lot of nonsense to be quite honest love'.

He said his girlfriend went 'a bit haywire' lashing out and scratching him and he did nothing back.

Tara Wolfe, prosecuting, said a month later the victim made a second statement saying she did not want to support the prosecution, but repeated it was all true.

Jones, of Calcutt Park, Cricklade, said he had been acting in self defence but the jury did not believe him and found him guilty.

He was released on bail to March 19 so a presentence report can be carried out and was warned he could be jailed.

Before the trial his lawyers tried to get her statement thrown out as she had not turned up but the judge rejected the application.