A "BRUTAL bully" has been jailed for beating up his terrified former girlfriend twice in two days.

Jason Kinsey punched and kicked Gemma Edwards in the first vicious attack before sweeping her legs from under her and knocking her to the ground, leaving her with a badly blackened eye.

The following day, he threw a lit cigarette at her before assaulting her again and threatening her with a knife, which he then used to repeatedly stab a wall.

"There is no doubt in my mind you are a brutal bully," Judge Barry Berlin told the 34-year-old, who has 51 previous offences on his criminal record -including offences of violence and an attack on a previous partner.

"You seem to pick on girlfriends and others," the judge continued.

"You have a shocking criminal record for violent offending with offences including wounding, assault, threatening behaviour and battery."

Kinsey, of Duke Street, Upper Gornal, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm, assault by beating and two offences of criminal damage.

He was jailed for 20 months for the offences and for a further two months for breaching a suspended prison sentence imposed by the court for taking a motor vehicle without consent.

Kamaljit Shergill, defending, told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Kinsey's relationship with Miss Edwards had been "volatile" but short lived.

She said the consumption of alcohol was the root cause of his offending and he accepted he could have behaved better after he argued with Miss Edwards.

Miss Shergill said their relationship was now "well and truly over" and he had made amends with his father, who had been present when he assaulted Miss Edwards on the second occasion.

Howard Searle, prosecuting, told the court the pair had been drinking together when Miss Edwards was subjected to the first attack when Kinsey ran at her and swept her legs off the floor.

"She suffered nasty bruising to her eye and leg," said Mr Searle in what was a "sustained attack" with Kinsey assaulting her a second time the following day.