TRAUMATISED dance teacher Amy Bastin has had to have stress counselling after being assaulted twice in a week by her ex partner in her Tewkesbury home, a court was told.

As well as assaulting her, Simon Evans, 25, also caused damage to her belongings on both occasions, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

The second of his attacks on her, when he also brandished a knife and stabbed her table with it, was 'deeply unattractive and violent,' said Judge Michael Cullum.

Evans, of Sheffield close, Worcester, admitted two offences of common assault on Ms Bastin on August 10 and 14 last year and two of criminal damage.

The judge told him he could not have complained if he was sent straight to jail today.

"Picking up a knife must have frightened her witless and could have resulted in custody today," the judge said. "Many will think it should have done.

"However, I am satisfied society is better served by you learning how to control your temper and how to deal, in particular, with women partners because it strikes me you have a huge amount to learn."

The judge sentenced Evans to a community order with thirty days of rehabilitative activity and a condition to attend a 'building better relationships' programme

He made a five year restraining order barring Evans from contacting Ms Bastin and he ordered him to pay her a total of £880 compensation as well as costs of £120.

Prosecutor Charles Thomas said Evans and Ms Bastin's relationship ended last August and on the10th, at 9pm, he went to her home in Tewkesbury to collect some belongings.

"Upstairs, he grabbed her and threw her on the bed. He crushed her Samsung Galaxy phone in his hand. He also threw items off her chest of drawers including a jewellery box, which was damaged.

"She had bruising and reddening to the arm.

"The following Friday, 14th, she got home at 3pm to find him waiting outside. Despite what had happened she allowed him in to carry on the process of collecting his belongings.

"Once inside, she says, he locked the doors. That scared her. She was then grabbed by him and thrown onto the sofa.

"He held her by the neck, banging her head against the wall. He went into the kitchen and came back with her handbag and a knife.

"He emptied her handbag, found her iPod and broke that.

"Then he offered her the knife, saying 'Go on then, if you want to hurt me do it.'

"He then said 'We might as well just kill each other.'

"He picked up the knife and was stabbing the table with it and brandishing it in front of her. He eventually left at 7.30pm after four hours in the house."

Mr Thomas said that 'extremely distressed' Ms Bastin then called the police.

In a victim impact statement she said she was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and had been receiving counselling

Evans was of previous good character.

Gerald Bermingham, defending, said Evans is in work, lives with his parents, and has a daughter from a previous relationship. He was 'closely attached' to his daughter and there had never been any complaint about his behaviour from her mother.

Mr Bermingham described Evans' relationship with Ms Bastin as 'having its own internal tensions.'