Boozed-up bully Jack Ward made a plea to spend Christmas.... with the woman he headbutted three times in front of their children.

The 24-year-old father of children aged three years and 18 months attacked their mother in September and October.

The drunken yob’s first attack left Emma O’Dell nursing bruises and a swollen eye – yet Ward, of Churchfields, Margate was released on police bail.

Just two days before he was due to appear before local magistrates, he got drunk again and when Ms O’Dell refused to hand over more cash for drink – punched her three times with his fist.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that as she nursed more injuries to her eye and nose, he snatched £10 from her purse to spend on alcohol.

But amazingly, his barrister Paul Hogben pleaded with the judge to allow him home to spend the festive period with his partner and children.

Ward – who already had a conviction for being drunk in charge of a child – had pleaded guilty to assault by beating, assault causing actual bodily harm and theft.

Mr Hogben said that since being remanded in custody for the past two months he has gone through detoxification and was alcohol-free for the first time in eight years.

“He has said that if he is allowed to return home that alcohol will not be flowing freely in the house. He just wants to spend time with his family at Christmas.”

But Judge Adele Williams jailed him for 18 months after telling him the assaults were so serious that only a prison sentence was appropriate for such “unpleasant attacks”.

“Alcohol is ruining his life. He accepts that he has a serious drink problem and when he is drunk he becomes violent” - Paul Hogben, defending

Prosecutor Matthew Turner told how the couple had been together for four years when Ward returned home drunk in September.

He slept some of it off for a couple of hours but then demanded Ms O’Dell hand over her mobile phone.

Mr Turner added: “When she said no, he followed her into the bedroom, grabbed her hair, pushed her onto the bed before sitting on top of her and headbutting her three times.

“He was shouting: ‘If you want a fight...I will give you a fight!’, “ he added.

The beating only stopped when he was pulled away by his brother, the prosecutor added.

On October 6 he was again drunk and was seen trying to get into Ms O’Dell’s handbag to get cash and then lashed out with his fist when she refused to give him any money.

Mr Hogben, defending, said: “Alcohol is ruining his life. He accepts that he has a serious drink problem and when he is drunk he becomes violent.”

The barrister said that the couple were “in a loving relationship” and Ward wanted to turn around his life.

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