A CWMCARN man who attacked two different girlfriends in a three-month period has been jailed.

Dean Whatley, 38, of Nantcarn Road, Cwmcarn, beat up and strangled the pair, leaving them both "petrified".

In March, Whatley beat up, strangled, and headbutted his then-girlfriend Sarah Fuller. He pinned her down and tried to bite her lips as she screamed for help. 

On two occasions in May, while on bail, he attacked Gabriella Federico. On the first incident he held her underwater for a minute in her hot tub in her garden. In the second attack, he strangled Ms Federico before spitting gin in her face.

The judge, Recorder Jonathon Rees KC sentenced Whatley to five years and four months in prison, saying the two women are "petrified" after his assaults. 

Bethan Evans, prosecuting, said on March 4, Whatley arrived at the Newport flat he shared with Sarah Fuller at 5pm.

He started drinking and became aggressive towards Ms Fuller. 

Ms Evans described how Ms Fuller said she wanted to go to her mother's home in Caldicot. Whatley replied: "You are not fucking going anywhere. You will do as you are told."

Ms Evans said Whatley - a "jealous and controlling" man - stopped Ms Fuller from leaving, pinning her to the bed.

"He straddled her and grabbed her around the throat," said Ms Evans.

Whatley laughed at Ms Fuller, saying: "Look at you crying, you s***."

He then got another beer before coming back into the bedroom and headbutted Ms Fuller on the nose. 

Ms Fuller managed to get to a window and shouted: "Someone call the police." 

"The defendant laughed and said she was not going anywhere," said Ms Evans.

"In order to muffle her screams, he pushed her face into the mattress on the bed."

Ms Fuller thought she was going to die but she managed to escape and ran out the door and called the police.

Less than four months later, while on bail, Whatley attacked his then new-girlfriend, Gabriella Federico, in her home in Treharris.

Ms Evans said on May 16, Whatley arrived at Ms Federico's home "telling her that he had been bailed to her address, which was plainly not true".

The couple went into a hot tub which Ms Federico had in her garden. Whatley began drinking and his behaviour changed. 

Ms Evans told the court how Ms Federico said: "He had a strange look in his eyes and he stared at her."

Whatley then accused Ms Federico of cheating on him and attacked her, dragging her under the hot tub water multiple times.

Ms Evans said Whatley held Ms Federico under the water for as a long as a minute.  He left the hot tub and then smashed the windscreen of her Freelander car. 

Eight days later, he attacked Ms Federico again. This time, he beat her, strangled her, bit her lips, spat gin in her face and said: "I am going to kill you."

Christopher Evans, defending, said there was no excuse for Whatley's actions but that losing his job and becoming an alcoholic were factors.