Jail for thug who attacked girlfriend he kept locked in bedroom

Jareth Martin also dealt what he called ‘phantom slaps’ to his victim. He said this was when she did not know it was coming.

Rob Griffiths, prosecuting, said Martin would quiz his girlfriend, believing she was cheating on him.

The pair had been going out since February and were living at her mother’s home in Hambledon at the time of the assault on Boxing Day.

Mr Griffiths said: ‘There were issues of jealousy and distrust and he would argue with her and argue about things if she didn’t reply to messages or was late back from work.’

The court heard 25-year-old Martin has drug-induced psychosis after taking the legal high Spice in 2012 and has extreme paranoia.

On December 26, he started accusing his girlfriend of cheating, after he had been drinking.

Mr Griffiths said: ‘He gave her what he called a “phantom slap”, a slap across the face, which didn’t leave a mark.’

She fell to the bed and Martin punched her at least six times, the victim told police, before he grabbed her by the hair and put his hands around her neck.

‘She thought she was going to pass out,’ Mr Griffiths said.

He threw a hanger hitting her on the back of the head before she shoved him and fled.

The next two assaults, on January and February 3, happened at Anvil Close, where they lived together.

He variously punched her, grabbed her face and slapped her during these assaults.

Mr Griffiths added: ‘The locking into the bedroom happened on a number of occasions, and normally lasted three to four hours, sometimes more.’

The court heard that on November 29 at The Vine pub in Hambledon, Martin was asked to leave as his girlfriend was working. When the landlady took his pint away he picked up a cordless phone and threw it.

When taken outside Martin threatened to ‘torch down the place’ and ‘do your family’.

Judge Claudia Ackner sentenced Martin, of Swarraton Road, West Leigh, to 14 months.

Martin pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by beating.

He pleaded guilty to threatening to destroy or damage property, using threatening, abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence, and destroying or damaging property.

Emilie Morrison, defending, said Martin had ‘pretty serious’ mental health problems ‘following the taking of Spice in 2012 that still causes him problems, the biggest of those his extreme paranoia’.