A THUG who repeatedly flouted a restraining order handed to him for beating his partner 'so she wouldn't be able to have children' has been jailed.

Thomas Skelton, formerly of Wantage but now of no fixed abode, was first ordered to have no contact with his victim by Oxford Magistrates' Court in January.

That ban was put in place after the 30-year old attacked the woman at an address in Grove telling her as he beat her 'that's to ensure that we don't have another child together'.

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He was jailed for that assault for 10 weeks and made subject to a restraining order.

Oxford Crown Court heard on Tuesday that despite the ban Skelton began harassing her with phone calls just days later.

From Bullingdon prison he called her once on January 25, three times the following day, and once the day after.

Then on February 28 he made no less than five calls to her and a further three calls were made on March 15.

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Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said at the hearing that during some of the phone calls Skelton told the woman 'you are mine' and ''you ain't going to split up with me'.

In another call he said 'I am not going to leave you alone, I don't care if I break the restraining order I will just go back to prison.'

Oxford Mail:

HMP Bullingdon, near Bicester.

He was then interviewed by police and told officers he had made the phone calls and said they had spoken about their daughter.

Skelton later admitted six counts of harassment through breach of a restraining order.

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The court went on to hear that Skelton has a long history of previous offences, made up of 42 convictions for 91 offences, including for battery and assault.

In mitigation, his defence barrister Rhianna Fricker said that Skelton 'apologised' for the initial violence that led to the restraining order.

She added: "He pleaded guilty as early as he possibly could, he admitted it there and then.

"He is realistic that it is likely to be an immediate custodial sentence today."

Sentencing, Judge Peter Ross called the initial assault a 'nasty' attack and said that Skelton had a 'complete disregard' for orders imposed by the court.

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He said: "If the words spoken at the time [of the assault] are to be believed it was designed to ensure that your partner could not become pregnant again. A deeply unpleasant offence.

"The phone calls were deeply unpleasant and must have been quite frightening, bearing in mind they were made in custody at the time. Your victim would have assumed she was safe from your attention.

"If you breach this order again you will find that the court will have a higher starting point so if you are tempted bear that in mind."

Skelton was jailed for a total of two years and three months and must pay a victim surcharge.

The initial restraining order made against his victim remains in place.