A THUG called 999 to say he needed the police “before I go down for murder” and then punched and kicked a man in the head over a £200 debt.

Andrew Vowles carried out the nasty attack on Macauley Thomas in Bargoed just days before he was jailed for killing his girlfriend in 2020.

Vowles was sent to prison for more than seven years last month after he admitted causing the death by dangerous driving of mother-of-four Danielle Andrews.

He was back in court for assaulting Mr Thomas after smashing his way into his flat with a crowbar on February 13.

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Vowles was on bail at the time while awaiting sentence for killing Miss Andrews in Cardiff.

David Pugh, prosecuting, said the defendant had gone to Mr Thomas’ flat to confront him over the money he had borrowed a week earlier.

Mr Thomas’ girlfriend Demi Jones was also present and the couple did not open the door to him after he knocked.

I’m going to smash his house up

Mr Pugh told Cardiff Crown Court: “The defendant said, ‘Are we going to sort this money out?’

“Mr Thomas told him through the window to leave.

“The defendant himself called 999 and requested the police attend because, and I quote: ‘He robbed £200 off me and I’m going to smash his house up now. I’ve come to get my money.

"‘He said he can’t give me it so I’m going to go through the door now and smash it up so I need the police up here before I go down for murder.'"

Mr Pugh added: “The defendant then produced a crowbar and smashed the glass panel of the front door and reached in to open the door.

“Miss Jones shouted that she would call the police.

“The defendant then left and went down the stairs into a courtyard and was shouting, ‘Come on, come on!’

“The defendant’s girlfriend was present in this courtyard and she was trying to restrain him.

“Mr Thomas went down the stairs in order to tell him to leave.

“As he approached the defendant, he punched him in the face.

“Mr Thomas fell straight to the floor.

“The defendant then kicked him at least twice to the face.”

When Miss Jones went to try and pull Vowles away, he punched her in the face.

Mr Thomas suffered two chipped teeth, a cut and bruising around his eye and pain to his head.

Miss Jones was “fortunately not injured”.

Vowles, 35, of Ruth Street, Bargoed, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating and criminal damage.

Jeffrey Jones, representing the defendant, said: “He has pleaded guilty and he accepts he is in the wrong.”

Judge Richard Williams jailed Vowles for 12 months to run consecutively to the seven years and six months prison term for causing death by dangerous driving.