A MAN damaged his girlfriend’s teeth after repeatedly punching her in the back of the head before going on to harass her when she dumped him.

Thug Ethan Jones, 20, from Tredegar repeatedly struck her in his bedroom where he lives with his parents who were out at the time.

As a result of the blows, delivered following an argument with her, a veneer on one of her teeth came off and she needed dental treatment.

The woman ended their relationship and blocked her ex from calling her as “she didn't want any further contact with him”.

Jones then started regularly phoning her, sometimes during the early hours of the morning, and she received a number of calls from an unknown number.

MORE NEWS: ‘Depraved’ couple jailed for 40 years after treating young girl like a ‘sex toy’

Gareth James, prosecuting, said: “In a statement the victim’s mother describes that her daughter went from being someone who was very active – she went horse riding and running – to stopping all of those activities.

“She deleted her social media accounts, she stopped going out with their friends and she stopped her driving lessons.

“The victim, she says, began to no longer take any care for appearance and she describes the weight dropping off her and her becoming gaunt and pale.”

Jones, of Vale Terrace, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and harassment.

The offences took place between April and September last year, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

He has previous a conviction for harassment and criminal damage when he was abusive to another ex-girlfriend “after becoming obsessed with her”.

Jeffrey Jones representing the defendant said: “He is described as being emotionally immature and someone who needs help in developing a healthy relationship with a female in the future.”

He was, his barrister added, a young man “with a good work ethic” and was currently employed.

Judge Shomon Khan told Jones: “It is really troubling to hear that in a place where she should have felt safe with you, looked after by you, loved by you, instead of that, after an argument, you punched her in the back of the head several times.

“You hit her with such force that the veneer on the set on one of her teeth came off and that required dental treatment.

“The harassment it seems came after the relationship ended when she continued to receive calls from you and it all seemed to have had an impact on her day-to-day life.”

The judge said he was about to spare the defendant from immediate custody because of his age and the chance he could be rehabilitated in the community.

Jones was sent to a young offender institution for nine months but that sentence was suspended for 18 months.

He must attend a “Building Better Relationships” programme and complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

The defendant must pay his victim £1,000 compensation and was made the subject of a five-year restraining order not to contact her.