A MAN who attacked his ex-girlfriend as she pleaded with him to stop has been sentenced to four weeks in prison.

Joshua Symonds, 21, of Bargates, Leominster, pleaded guilty to four counts of assault by beating before Hereford magistrates this week.

He had already entered a guilty plea to a charge of criminal damage to property valued under £5,000 at an earlier hearing.

The court heard the offences were in relation to two ex-girlfriends, with the first incident on June 18 this year when Symonds spat at Naomi Probert in Hereford.

Bally Paul, prosecuting, said on September 5, Symonds threw a pack of sausages at another ex-girlfriend, Kara McManus outside another county supermarket.

However, on September 13, the first of the two most serious attacks happened after Ms McManus confided in Symonds she was sad and wanted time alone.

Concerned she would hurt herself, he followed her into the bathroom and put his hands around her neck in a stranglehold and squeezed, though not so tight as to stop her breathing.

He said this was the only way to get through to her and his hands were around her neck for around 30 seconds. She believed he wanted to scare her.

At a later date in September, Ms McManus had asked Symonds to wake her up from a nap before work but he had not.

She thought she was going to get sacked and 'had a go' at him, Ms Paul said.

Symonds had been out to get drugs and began snorting cocaine but an argument continued in the bedroom before Symonds put Ms McManus in a headlock, pushing his fist into her cheek.

It lasted around two minutes and later in the attack he headbutted her and was 'thumping' her.

She tried to use a pillow to protect her face, Ms Paul said, while pleading with him.

Arguments continued through the night and when she left the next day he went with her to make sure she did not report it.

The criminal damage related to a car belonging to Ms McManus' friend Holly Robinson and happened in Bromyard on September 17.

Marilena Divitantonio, defending, said Symonds was a man with a 'very short fuse'.

In relation to the assault on Ms Probert, Symonds had been interviewed about that on a voluntary basis some time before and no further action was taken. He then found himself before the court because of the other charges.

He had tried to stop Ms McManus hurting herself when he put his hands around her throat, believing it to be the only way to stop her.

Ms Divitantonio said Symonds could not cope with certain emotional situations – particularly since the death of his grandmother – and accepted his behaviour was not appropriate.

He also suffered from a high level of anxiety and paranoia, she said, and mental health issues also needed to be resolved.

Magistrates said the offences on two 'vulnerable young women' were so serious as to merit custody.

They sentenced Symonds to a total of four weeks in prison but as he had already been in custody for seven weeks he had already served the sentence. He was also have to pay a victim surcharge.