A MAN has been jailed after breaching a restraining order days after his release from prison, assaulting his partner and stealing £1,000 from her bank account.

Paul Williams, of Beaufort Rise, near Ebbw Vale, appeared in Cardiff Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to assault by beating, harassment and theft at an earlier hearing.

Sam Shepherd, prosecuting, said the 35-year-old had served an 18-week prison sentence in 2017 for harassment against his partner with a restraining order passed.

Days after being released, he contacted the same woman with the two rekindling their relationship and moving in together, the court heard.

Mr Shepherd said that “the relationship again turned abusive” and on October 18 the victim said Williams grabbed her by the throat and threatened to push her down the stairs during an argument.

As the argument continued, he grabbed her by the throat again, causing a slight cut to her lip, before picking up a kitchen knife, waving at around by her head and threatening to cut her car tyres.

The court heard Williams also took the keys to the woman's car which left her unable to leave for work and she later moved in with her mother after the incident.

After more than one hundred messages and calls, Mr Shepherd said, Williams called at the victim’s new address on October 31 accusing her of having some of his money and asking to use her phone to make a bet.

His victim later realised £1,000 was missing from her bank account and that the phone's banking app had been deleted.

Williams was arrested the same day and said in police interview that he took the funds to annoy her “after the way she had treated him”.

Mr Shepherd added the restraining order breach - between August 25-November 1 - involved some violence and intimidation with a weapon while the theft involved a breach of trust.

The court also heard that the defendant had nine convictions for 21 offences – including battery and theft – and since 2010 he had several restraining orders linked to four different women.

David Leathley, defending, said Williams had shown “considerable contrition” and a desire for rehabilitation since the incident.

Although there were “occasions of tenderness and mutual affection” in the relationship, he said, his client “destroyed a loving relationship with his childish behaviour.”

“Returning him back to prison will bury the problem like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand,” he said.

In mitigation, Mr Leathley added Williams made no “wilful attempt to cause injury” to his partner and grabbing his victim by the throat was a “symbolic gesture of annoyance”.

The theft of £1,000, he added, was “done to annoy and tease” his victim rather than to permanently deprive her of money.

Recorder Peter Davis gave full credit for guilty pleas but described the theft as a “spiteful, disturbing act which upset the victim considerably."

Williams was sentenced to 42 weeks in prison – of which he must serve half before being released on licence – and was ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to his victim.