An alcoholic battered his new girlfriend just days into their relationship – and weeks after he had been released from prison for doing the same thing to an ex-partner.

Kevin Wolton sobbed as a statement written by his victim was read to Swindon Crown Court yesterday.

The 38-year-old held his head in his hands as he heard how his victim felt alone and isolated. In the statement, read to the court by prosecutor Catherine Flint, the woman said: “I feel so fed up with everything. I am stressed and emotional about everything Wolton did to me in such a short space of time.”

Ms Flint told the court Wolton had not long been released from prison when he struck up a relationship with the woman at the end of April 2020. The woman only recently escaped a violent relationship.

He had quickly moved into her bedsit flat. It was there that the woman had been subjected to a number of assaults.

On April 28, he had grabbed her by the arms and “dragged her around”.

The following day, in an ordeal that lasted several hours, the woman claimed she had been thrown to the bed, her head stamped on and her ankle bitten. Wolton had smashed her kitchen wall with a hammer.

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Kevin Wolton pictured in 2015 outside court Picture: ADVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Police were alerted after a silent 999 call. The call-handler heard a woman say “why did you bite me on the leg?”

They arrived to find Wolton was cradling a hammer. The woman had bruising to her back, arms and ankle.

Wolton, formerly of Sheppard Street, pleaded guilty last month to causing actual bodily harm, assault by beating and criminal damage. He had an unenviable list of previous convictions, with 144 offences on his record including for theft, violence and sexual offending.

Defending, Matthew Harbinson said his client had struggled with alcohol addiction. The relationship with his victim had lasted just five days. “During that period of time they involved themselves in heavy drinking from the moment they woke until the moment they passed out, collapsed or fell asleep.”

Remorseful Wolton had not had a drink in the six month he had been in prison on remand. He had a job leading a team of prison cleaners and had completed rehabilitation programmes while at HMP Bullingdon.

In a pre-sentence report, the probation service spoke positively of his motivation and he noted had the offer of employment with a cousin in Bristol, where he could also be put up in a probation hostel.

Judge Peter Crabtree told Wolton his crimes would have attracted up to 24 months’ imprisonment.

But noting the changes he’d already made, the judge deferred sentence for six months, releasing him from prison to give him a chance to prove he had changed.

Under the terms of his deferred sentence he must live and sleep at accommodation as directed by the probation service, wear a GPS tag, remain abstinent from alcohol, not contact his victim, commit no further offences and take part in any programmes asked of him by probation.

The judge told Wolton: “I’m passing the ball over to you. Any failure to comply with any of those then my starting point will be you serve that period of custody.”

The defendant replied: “Thank you for the chance.” He will be sentenced on March 21, 2021.

For support, contact Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service on 01793 610610 or swadomesticabuse.org.