A MAN with a ‘horrendous’ record for violence — including a conviction for manslaughter — repeatedly assaulted his heavily pregnant girlfriend.

Blackburn magistrates heard Terry Gaskin was jailed for an assault on her in February, when she was 34 weeks pregnant, but attacked her again after he was released from prison.

Jailing Gaskin for 18 weeks, the magistrates said they could not ignore the fact he had deliberately targeted Charlotte Bury who they described as a vulnerable victim.

Gaskin, 23, of Blackburn Road, Darwen, pleaded guilty to assaulting Miss Bury and damaging her mobile phone.

He was also made subject to a restraining order for two years.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Gaskin had convictions for assault and actual bodily harm before a single punch incident outside a Darwen pub lead to him serving a prison sentence for manslaughter.

He was convicted of assaulting Miss Bury in November, when she was seven weeks pregnant, and in February was jailed for another assault on her.

Miss Allan said: “You are now dealing with yet another attack on the same victim.

“She says that when he got out of jail, she got back together with him despite everyone telling her not to.”

On the night of the incident, a witness looked out of his window and saw Gaskin dragging Miss Bury by her hair and punching her in the face.

Miss Allan said: “She was sat on the floor when he kicked her in the head.

“He took the sim card out of her phone and chewed it before throwing it away.”

The witness heard Gaskin shout, ‘whose baby is it? I’ll gouge your eyes out’.

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said the magistrates were there to deal with the latest assault and not previous offences for which he had already been punished.

He said: “It seems these two people can’t live together but can’t live apart.

“Prior to this incident, there had been an exchange of jealous text messages.”