A PREGNANT woman was told she was going to be killed when her ex-partner attacked her in her home in the middle of the night, Cardiff crown court has heard.

At one point Gareth Williams, 24, headbutted Hayley Jones and snatched their child from her.

Gareth Williams, of Cowdray Walk, Griffithstown, Pontypool, was jailed for two years.

Recorder Ian Murphy, QC, said he represented a risk of causing serious injury to the public and directed that he should not be considered for parole until he had served a minimum of a year.

He also directed that on release he be on licence for three years.

He told Williams "You severely assaulted her and she was very frightened indeed."

Williams admitted a charge of causing actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Martyn Kelly said that in March he was arrested accused of a charge of battery in respect of Ms Jones and bailed with a condition not to contact her but he breached that and another battery charge was made. Again he was released on bail on the same conditions not to go to the woman's home in Cwmbran.

But on May 1 at 3am she was with her son and was eight months pregnant when she heard banging on the door.

Williams shouted "You know who it is" went inside and followed Ms Jones upstairs where as she tried to get the child to sleep he headbutted her.

"He dragged her by her hair, took hold of her throat, squeezed tightly so she felt his fingernails and said 'I'll kill you'" said Mr Kelly.

What happened after that, he said, was a blur to her though she remembered trying to reason with him.

Neighbours heard what was going on and called the police.

She had a three inch lump on her forehead, grazing to the throat and scratches to her right cheek.

Mr Kelly said police found her to be in an hysterical state and told them "He's beaten the hell out of me. Gareth did it, he's upstairs."

He told the police "Arrest me, I don't give a f....."

Later he said all he could remember was waking up in a police cell.

Williams was said to have convictions for carrying out a robbery in a Cwmbran store, possessing a switch blade knife and wounding, for which he received 18 months.

His counsel, Harry Baker, said "The attack was not indiscriminate violence to members of the public and the injuries were at the lower end of the scale and there has been a full recovery. The victim has been visiting him in prison. He comes from a very difficult background."