A MAN hit his girlfriend over the head with a shoe and kicked her in the stomach during a “cowardly” attack.

Shane Edwards was drinking at his victim’s home in Cwmbran when he started being abusive to her.

When she asked him to leave he carried out the shocking assault which left her “in a great deal of pain” and covered in bruises.

After doing so he went into the street and called his neighbours “a bunch of f****** w******” and threatened to smash their windows.

The 49-year-old defendant has a history of violence and has a conviction for stalking the woman, who he is no longer in a relationship with.

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Ruth Smith, prosecuting, read out the victim’s impact statement at Cardiff Crown Court.

The complainant said: “During the three-year relationship Shane abused me both physically and mentally and this slowly took a toll on me and massively affected my mental health.”

Edwards, of Malthouse Close, Llantarnam, Cwmbran, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

The incidents took place on Saturday, May 13, last year.

The defendant has 12 previous convictions for 15 offences, which include battery, being drunk and disorderly, criminal damage and public disorder.

Edwards has been “doing well” on an alcohol treatment order imposed following his conviction in 2023 for stalking the woman.

Richard Ace said in mitigation: “Drink has been dominating his life since the age of 13.

“His parents were in a violent relationship, he saw that happening and he turned to drink.”

His barrister added that his client told him he had been clean since July.

Judge Lucy Crowther said to Edwards: “On the night in question, you said you would be staying at her home address, but you'd been abusive to her that afternoon and you began drinking in her house.

“She was worried about what was coming because she had had experiences of you when you'd been drinking and how horrible you could become.”

The judge added: “To be subjected to that sort of violence in her own home is utterly unacceptable and your behaviour was cowardly in the extreme.

“You should be ashamed of yourself to be to be behaving like that towards somebody who you purported to love.”

She jailed him for 10 months but suspended that sentence for 18 months to allow him to continue tackling his alcohol problem.

He must complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay a victim surcharge.