AN Abergavenny man was jailed for threatening to kill his girlfriend.

Benjamin Haynes, 22, of Grove Mansions, appeared at Newport Crown court charged with common assault and on a separate count of criminal damage.

John Warren prosecuting said that on November 12, between 8.45pm and 3.30am, Haynes threatened to kill his girlfriend, 19-year-old Heidi Thatcher and intimidated her with a knife and fork.

After her ordeal, the teen managed to alert the police, her boyfriend absconded and was later arrested.

Miss Thatcher sustained severe bruising from the incident, but no other physical injuries.

Haynes also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of criminal damage where in May 17, he and three others followed a Torfaen Youth Service minibus travelling at 50mph in another vehicle.

Hanging out of the window of the car, Haynes smashed its rear window with a baseball bat.

Luckily none of the passengers sustained severe injury.

Richard Ace defending told the court that Haynes had a history of drug and alcohol abuse.

Haynes and Miss Thatcher had since reconciled their differences and she handed a statement to the court to that effect.

In sentencing Judge David Morris said that as the value of the damage was below £5,000 he was forced to sentence Haynes to a maximum of three months.

Haynes received a second sentence for common assault for three months.

Both sentences run consecutively.