Drug dealer who punched ex-girlfriend in face is jailed

Mark Thomas breached a court order banning him from contacting the woman before turning up at her home in Pontefract and attacking her, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The court heard the woman did not feel safe in her own home after the attack and moved in with her mother.

Thomas breached the court order for a second time when he contacted the woman and threatened to smash windows at her mother's home

A restraining order was in place which banned Thomas, 23, from contacting the woman or going near her home in Pontefract.

Jessica Randell, prosecuting, said on May 16 Thomas went to the woman's home and when she answered the door he said: "You think you can get rid of me that easily do you?"

Miss Randell said Thomas pushed the woman over and as she got her feet he punched her in the face, causing bruising to her jaw.

Miss Randell said: "Following the incident she moved in with her mother as she didn't feel safe in her own home."

Miss Randell said Thomas called the woman on May 20 from an unknown number and said he was going to "put her mother's windows through."

Thomas, of Cavendish Avenue, Pontefract, admitted one charge of common assault, one charge of threatening to damage property and two charges of breaching a restraining order.

He has seven previous convictions for 18 offences .

He was jailed for 20 weeks in June 2020 after being convicted of criminal damage and three offences of assaulting emergency workers.

On November 5 2020 he was handed a nine month suspended prison sentence for an offence of possession of class A and class B drugs with intent to supply.

Christopher Morton, mitigating, said Thomas had been in a relationship with the woman from the middle of 2019 until October 2020.

Mr Morton said Thomas is immature and has a history of ADHD.

Recorder Ashley Serr jailed Thomas for a total of 20 months - 12 months for the May offences plus eight months activated from the June 2020 suspended jail sentence.

And he imposed a restraining order until June 2025 which bans Thomas from contacting the woman.