Thug abused his former partner and took £300

A THUG slapped, punched and abused a former partner then used her phone to transfer £300 of her money into his account, a court has heard.

Before he attacked the woman Travis Roberts bragged to her about the amount of cocaine he had taken.

Roberts’ barrister told Merthyr Crown Court that the defendant was “deeply ashamed” of his behaviour and said he realises he needs help with his alcohol and drug issues.

Jailing him, a judge said there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation and said the offending was so serious only a sentence of immediate custody was appropriate. The court heard the assault took place at the victim’s house in Newport on February 10. Alexander Orndal, prosecuting, said an argument developed between the pair during which Roberts slapped the woman to the face.

The woman went upstairs to try to “defuse” the situation but the defendant followed her and assaulted her again, throwing her to the floor, punching her to the top of the head, and dragging her around by her hair. The court heard that during the attack the defendant laughed at his ex and called her a “s**g”.

The prosecutor said the woman went downstairs but the defendant pursued her and the assault continued with Roberts pushing her to the kitchen floor and kicking her. During the assault on his former partner the defendant took possession of her phone and used it to transfer £300 from her bank account into his. The prosecutor said that prior to the attack Roberts had boasted to his ex about the amount of cocaine he had consumed.

The court heard the woman tried to flee from Roberts but the 30-year-old defendant prevented her from getting out of the front door forcing her to escape by climbing out of a window.

Outside the property the woman met her sister-in-law, and Roberts then turned his aggression on the visitor pushing her and telling her: “I’m going to knock you out and beat up your boyfriend.”

Roberts, of Commercial Road, Newport, had previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, fraud by false representation and assault by beating when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 15 previous convictions for 22 offences including public disorder, assaults on emergency workers, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a different partner.

With a discount for his guilty plea, the defendant was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.