A MAN with a history of violence towards his partners has been jailed after a "disgraceful" drug-fuelled assault on a woman.

Aaron Leonard Slade told his victim: "You've never seen domestic violence – well you will now."

The 33-year-old slapped the woman's face and threatened to kill her during the attack in her own home in Torfaen on January 18.

Cardiff Crown Court heard on Friday how Slade's victim ran out of the house, only for him to grab her by the hair and pull her back inside "like a ragdoll".

The attack started after Slade, who had been taking Valium prior to the incident, accused his victim of sending messages to other men.

When his victim said she wanted him to leave, Slade slapped her face three times and began throwing items around the kitchen, Rhodri Jones, prosecuting, told the court.

After pursuing her outside, he dragged the woman by her hair back into her home, telling her "I will kill you". Once inside the house, he tried to barricade the front door.

His victim managed to escape and call the police. When officers arrived in the street they found the "visibly distressed" woman outside, shaking and with a cut on her face.

At this point, Slade was still inside his victim's home but had thrown her belongings outside, including a bed, a table and toys, the court heard.

Slade, of no fixed abode, was arrested after "negotiations" with police to get him to come outside. At an earlier court appearance, he admitted assault by beating and causing criminal damage to property.

The trail of destruction inside the woman's home included "a lot of smashed glass" and holes in the walls, Mr Jones said.

The court heard Slade had 22 previous convictions for 42 offences, including for grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm.

At the time of the January attack on the woman, Slade was the subject of a suspended prison sentence, passed last October after he was convicted of assaulting an emergency worker and of possessing a Class A drug.

Stephen Thomas, defending, said the best mitigation for Slade was his early guilty pleas to the January offences.

He said Slade "fully accepts his behaviour" and had apologised to his victim.

"He is deeply sorry," Mr Thomas said, adding Slade had "very little memory of what he did" and was now "drug-free".

The judge, Recorder Paul Hobson, told Slade he had a "very bad record of violence, in particular in relation to your partners".

"You are yet to learn how to treat the people in your life with respect," the judge said. "You are yet to learn how to control your temper."

He condemned Slade's "vicious" attack on his victim and his "chilling words" to her.

"She should have been safe with you and she should have been safe in her own home," the judge said. "You behaved disgracefully towards her."

Noting the defendant's guilty pleas, for the January offences the judge jailed Slade for 16 weeks, the maximum sentence he said he could pass.

He also activated Slade's suspended sentence in full, adding a further 20 weeks to his prison term.

Slade was jailed for a total of 36 weeks and must pay a victim surcharge within six months of his release.