A JUDGE blasted a man who assaulted two ex-partners in the past year by telling him he should be “utterly ashamed” of himself for using violence against women.

Danny Woods was jailed after Newport Crown Court heard how he had beaten two former girlfriends in separate attacks.

The 27-year-old was told by Judge Patrick Curran QC: “You should be utterly ashamed of yourself for getting involved in violence against women.”

Woods, of Church Street, Ebbw Vale, admitted committing common assault against an ex-girlfriend and threatening her nephew with an offensive weapon in a public place – a screwdriver – in the town on the evening of Friday, October 19.

Prosecutor Marian Lewis told the court that the defendant was in breach of a community and curfew order imposed in July for attacking another former partner in Ebbw Vale by grabbing her around the throat.

The court heard that in October, Woods went to his ex’s home and verbally abused her before taking her mobile phone.

Miss Lewis said that after the victim followed him to get her phone back, the defendant punched her in the face several times and pushed her into the door of a Chinese restaurant, causing her to fall to the floor.

Later that evening, Woods confronted a group of people in Church Street, the prosecutor told the court.

Miss Lewis said: “The defendant was ranting and raving and he was brandishing a screwdriver.

“He pointed it towards them and told them, ‘You’ll have this now.”

She added: “He said to the victim’s nephew, ‘So you want to have a fight do you butt? I’m going to stab you.’”

The police were called and an officer disarmed him before he was arrested.

Miss Lewis said Woods had 18 previous convictions for 36 offences, including custodial sentences for aggravated vehicle taking in 2011 and 22 months for robbery two years ago.

Harry Baker, mitigating, said his client had pleaded guilty to the offences and urged the judge to keep the sentence as short as possible.

Judge Curran jailed Woods for a total of 15 months.