A JEALOUS man was told that society needs him to get support after he was given a suspended jail sentence for an “emerging and escalating pattern of violence” against his ex-girlfriend.

Callum Maloney was unhappy his then-partner had seen another man while the couple were on a break.

Swindon Crown Court heard he regularly brought up the other man, asking his girlfriend about him, and resorted to physical violence against her.

Prosecutor Alex Kettle-Williams told the court that Maloney made the woman feel “extremely guilty” during the rekindled relationship, and there were “two specific instances of violence”.

She said that the pair had been out together in late January when they started to argue about the man that she had seen whilst their relationship broke down.

Maloney took her phone and started to read her messages, and became enraged when he realised she had unblocked the other man, Ms Kettle-Williams said.

He backed her up against her vehicle and put her hands around her neck, making her feel “scared and intimidated”. He then punched her to the face, causing her nose to bleed and her to cough blood over her car.

After getting home, he launched a viral tirade, saying: “You’re a piece of meat and I used you.”

Just under two weeks later, Maloney, of Kennedy Drive, asked his partner to meet him.

As she drove to him, he called multiple times, but she did not answer.

“When she called back, she was met with screaming,” Ms Kettle-Williams told the court.

When the victim arrived, she found the defendant “extremely drunk”. She got him into her car and after he again brought the other man up, he then punched his girlfriend on the arm.

“It didn’t hurt her very much but it did hurt her and she began to cry,” the prosecutor said.

“He accused her of fake crying and he pulled her head to his knees.”

He then slapped her and later went on to smash the screen of her car radio.

Mitigating, Catherine Flint said her client has “quite a significant history of learning disorders and mental health difficulties”.

She said he was excluded from mainstream education aged four and a half, because his “emotional behaviour difficulty” was “not appropriate” and he was sent to special schools."

The 22-year-old admitted engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage.

Judge Jason Taylor QC imposed a 12-month custodial sentence, but elected to suspend it for two years.

“I hope that your emerging behaviour will be nipped in the bud," he said.

“But now you have these convictions on your record, if you assault a woman again, or anyone in a relationship, the starting point is going to be custody.”

He must complete 42 sessions of the building better relationships programme, and 25 rehabilitation activity days.

Maloney must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work.