A thug who headbutted his ex-partner and grabbed her by the throat after accusing her of ‘having an affair has been jailed.

Robert Whelan, from Oswaldtwistle, turned up at the victim’s home in Accrington at around 10.45pm on September 10 last year after she had been on a night out and became ‘abusive’, a court heard.

Prosecutor Jane Dagnall told Burnley Crown Court how the 34-year-old then assaulted her ‘by various means including a head butt which caused her nose to bleed’.

He then fled the house after she attempted to call the police.

The court heard how Whelan then returned to the house five days later at around 6pm.

Miss Dagnall said: “Initially everything was fine but when she told him to leave he changed and used a child’s bike in the garden to smash the glass in a door.”

Whelan, of Thwaites Road, then turned up at the victim’s home again at 8.20pm on November 23 and walked into the kitchen as she was feeding her dog.

Miss Dagnall told the court: “He was instantly abusive, moved into the lounge and demanded that she admitted an affair. She refused to do that.

“He shouted at her and told him to be quiet so the children wouldn’t wake up. She asked him to leave but he refused.

“He grabbed her by the throat. She decided to placate him and allow him to stay over.”

The court was told how at 10.45am the next morning the police arrived at her house and arrested Whelan after he was found hiding inside the property.

Whelan, who has been in custody on remand since his arrest, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault and one count of criminal damage.

He was jailed for five months.

Ricky Holland, defending, told the court: “Although the complainant said the relationship ended in May 2016, Mr Whelan says very emphatically that it was still continuing in November.

“It plainly wasn’t without its difficulties. At times he would be in drink but so too was the complainant.

"He has suffered from depression since the age of 15 and has been dependant on alcohol from time to time and used it as a coping mechanism.”

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said their relationship was ‘toxic’ and warned Whelan to ‘keep away from it’.