A DRUNKEN thug who attacked his girlfriend in front of their children has been jailed for 14 months.

Jason Bristow, 21, had served seven months of a suspended sentence for using a knuckleduster to hit a man when he launched the prolonged attack on his partner.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court Karen Houghton had two children by the defendant and expected him to visit her Pinehurst home on Friday, May 4.

She eventually got hold of him shortly before 1am the next day and a short while later he came through the front door and she could tell he was angry and obviously drunk.

He became increasingly angry and started to punch kitchen units, knocking a cabinet door off, before throwing the tumble drier across the room, smashing its door.

Miss Houghton was so scared she locked herself in the bathroom but came out when her one-year-old daughter woke up.

She was chased outside by Bristow and fell over still holding the child, but went back inside the house when he threatened to take the couple's three-year-old child to his mother's house.

Once inside she phoned her mother and as she was on the phone the thug punched her in the mouth and then kicked her.

The couple were outside when Miss Houghton's brother Gary and their taxi driver stepfather arrived in his cab.

Gary was holding the older child when Bristow ran at him, jumped on him and hit him in the head.

The stepfather split them up and as Gary went to get in the cab Bristow kicked the door causing a dent and striking his victim.

When he was questioned about the matter he refused to comment to the police.

Bristow, of The Bakers Arms, Beechcroft Road, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault and two of criminal damage.

The court herd that in October last year he was put on a one-year jail term suspended for 18 months for actual bodily harm.

James Tucker, defending, said his client was ashamed of what he had done and accepted he was facing a prison term.

He said when he was sentenced last year he was told to go on an anger replacement course but that had still not got underway.

Judge Douglas Field jailed him for four months for the common assaults and criminal damage with 10 months consecutive of the suspended sentence.

He told him: "This was a disgraceful incident.

"You went round to this house drunk and there was a prolonged period where you subjected this young woman to real fear and your young children were present."