A father-of-14 was sent to prison for punching his partner in the face while she held their seven-month-old baby.

Paul Nelson, 35, of Wilsdon Way, Kidlington, accused his girlfriend of eight years of cheating on him and punched her to the ground, before hitting her again repeatedly, a judge was told.

He threatened to stab her and she was left with bruising and swelling to the face.

Nelson was found guilty of common assault by a district judge in July and was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday.

Passing sentence, Recorder Andrew Burrows said it had been a “serious and sustained, unprovoked attack”.

He said: “You first threatened to stab her with your keys, then punched her three times in the face while she was holding your seven-month-old baby. She fell to the ground and then while she was on the floor, without thought for the safety of the baby, you punched her and then again as she stood up.”

Their young son also watched the attack and was said to be “very distressed”.

Recorder Burrows said: “This attack is so serious that only a custodial sentence would be appropriate.”

Nelson, who was said to have limited reading and writing skills, had already been given a two-year suspended sentence in 2010 for punching a traffic warden in the face.