The battered lover of a violent thug reluctantly left court after watching her ex-boyfriend avoid a jail sentence.

The woman had arrived minutes before the sentencing of bully Daniel Bridges for three attacks on her.

She handed over a letter to prosecution and defence a barrister which was then given to Judge Rupert Lowe to read.

After giving the 32-year-old a community order the judge asked the victim to leave prior to Bridges being freed.

Judge Lowe told him: “You have beaten up three separate women in the past and are at high risk of doing so again!”

Bridges, of New Street, Herne Bay had admitted the three assaults by beating on the young lover in May, June and July 2016.

But the judge said his hands were tied because the Crown Prosecution Service had “woefully under-charged” the defendant and had dropped a charge of witness intimidation.

He added: “This man has beaten up three female partners over the years and the CPS have not dealt with this case adequately. They have a public duty to do so on any view!”

Canterbury Crown Court heard how Bridges had been in a relationship with the victim, who was 13 years his junior.

The victim told police how it had started happily but then his behaviour turned to “controlling and violent.”

The judge heard how he refused to let her go out and constantly checked her mobile phone and when he discovered she had received a text message “it had opened the floodgates for him to be horrible to her,”.

In November he had put a pillow over her face and forced a spanner into her ribs and she was punched after forgetting to book football tickets.

The judge heard how police had received an anonymous call from a Herne Bay public house about an assault by Bridges and his girlfriend later told how she had been headbutted.

In June she was grabbed by her hair and ankle and thrown onto a sofa where she was punched to the ribs and the following month she was punched again and a hand put around her throat after he had checked her phone.

Dickon Reid, defending, said despite the ex-girlfriend arriving at court, Bridges said the relationship was over.

“You have beaten up three separate women in the past and are at high risk of doing so again!” - Judge Rupert Lowe

“He has no intention of re-kindling the relationship, he added.

The court heard how Bridges had knocked his sister unconscious in 2002 and struck another partner 10 years later.

In 2013 he hit another girlfriend before starting the relationship with the latest teenager.

The judge told him:“She was 17 at the time and you became controlling, violent and jealous – once forcing a mobile phone into her mouth on her 18 birthday party before punching her.

“You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself and its a pattern with domestic violence that men explain their behaviour by blaming their partner..and often the woman forgives them, despite the behaviour very likely happening again.”

Bridges was given a two-year community order and told to stay away from the victim for five years.

The judge added if he breached the order he would be shown “no mercy”.

For more on what to do if you're suffering from domestic abuse, see Kent Police's website.