A Newtown man has been jailed after repeatedly punching his ex-partner in an attack which left her in hospital with "very nasty" injuries.

Controlling and jealous Daniel William Hughes, 24, punched his former girlfriend four or five times when she was on the ground after knocking her down to the floor following a punch to the face.

Mold Crown Court was told that the attack happened weeks after Hughes was given a suspended sentence for dangerous driving, excess alcohol and failing to stop after crashing his car near McDonald's in Newtown.

The attack happened in the early hours of Sunday morning (June 13) and continued for around two minutes before Hughes stopped and ran off when a neighbour came out to see what was going on.

Myles Wilson, prosecuting, said Hughes had pressured his victim, who had ended their relationship a week before the attack, into calling round at his house in Newtown after she had been out in town with her friends.

"He was keeping tabs on her using Snapchat and telling her that unless she called round he was going to kill himself," he said.

When she arrived at the house he begged her to stay the night which she refused. Hughes then grabbed her bag and took her mobile phone before punching her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

Mr Wilson said: "While she was on the ground he then struck her a further four or five times to the face either by kicking or punching, she is not sure.

"Each time she tried to get up he pushed her back down. She estimates that he continued hitting her for a couple of minutes and then he stopped when a neighbour came out. He then stopped and ran off."

The victim spent a night in hospital after suffering a suspected broken nose and swelling to the face.

A victim impact statement read in court said that she has "felt completely isolated and confused" since the incident and has not wanted to leave the house for weeks because of the painful injuries to her face.

The court heard that the victim had made excuses in the past for Hughes' behaviour and that this attack was the worst. "There was no reason for what he did and I feel more anxious now than before," she said.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said Hughes had a "good work ethic" and intended to use his time in prison to address these issues. He said: “He is under no illusions that he was given a chance in April for his offending and that he’d blown it an immediate custody."

Sentencing Hughes, of Crescent Gardens, who was on remand at HMP Berwyn, Judge Niclas Parry said the harm caused to the victim was “clearly in the most serious” category.

He said: "This is a case about control, manipulation, a lack of respect, a nasty case of domestic violence and because you weren’t having your own way you punched her, she fell onto the floor and you repeatedly punched her.

"The pictures show very nasty injuries. There has been long-term effect. Your partner lost weeks of work and she is having counselling to deal with the consequences.

"This was committed within weeks of your suspended sentence for dangerous driving. Your response to that community order has frankly been woeful. You’re clearly not manageable at this stage of your life in the community."

Judge Parry gave Hughes credit for his early guilty plea before sentencing him to 15 months in jail for assault and actual bodily harm and nine months for dangerous driving which will run consecutively for two years.

A five-year restraining order was made not to not contact his ex-partner directly or indirectly, or mention her on social media.