A YOB dad-to-be repeatedly smashed his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach during a vicious beating – then threatened to stab her three-year-old daughter.
Fiend Mark Cottrell, 32, flew into a rage at vulnerable Hayley Dearden after they had spoken about who might get custody of the baby if they ever split up.
The brute launched a sickening attack on his lover in Stockport, Gtr Manchester, during which he threatened: '‘I’m going to punch that baby out of you.''
Cottrell also grabbed Miss Dearden by the hair before swinging her around the room and launching into a sick taunt about knifing her daughter, three, from a previous relationship and killing their dog.
The violent coward then produced a knife and said he was going to stab himself instead.
Miss Dearden suffered heavy bruising and clumps of hair were found ripped out of her scalp.
She has now ended her relationship with Cottrell and is thought to have since given birth to a healthy girl.
Serial domestic abuser Cottrell, of Sale, Greater Manchester was jailed for 26 months after he admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Minshull Street Crown Court.
He claimed he could not remember the incident as he had been downing gin before.
The court heard the couple had met online and the incident happened on October 28 last year when Cottrell was at Miss Dearden's home.
Prosecutor James Preece said: ''She was pregnant with the defendant’s child and that evening he had been drinking gin.
"An argument began over who would have custody were the two to split up.
"The defendant became angry and ran at the complainant, punched her in the arm, it was after that that the defendant apologised, and the defendant and the complainant went upstairs to the bedroom.
“But once they were upstairs he became angry with the dog, he reached for the dog and the dog intervened.
The defendant then grabbed the complainant’s hair and swung her around the room by the hair
causing her to fall to the floor."
The court was told Cottrell then "forced her on the bed, knelt on her with his knee on her chest and then punched the complainant to the stomach.
"The defendant took the complainant’s phone off her.
"She managed to get up and go into the corner of the room but he ran at her and said ‘I’m going to punch that baby out of you’ then punched her in the stomach several times."
The court heard Cottrell had previous for common assault and ABH as well as four offences of battery, all against ex-partners on his record."
Defending barrister Paul Hodgkinson said: “This was a nasty offence and the defendant doesn’t shy away from that.
"There comes a point in everybody’s life were people can change, there is a possibility that change can be present."
But Judge Tina Landale told Cottrell: “The reality is you have not changed your ways – this is the third lady you have assaulted in a relationship.
"You have a dreadful history of using violence against women.
“You intended to cause more harm than you in fact did cause to Hayley Dearden.
Cottrell was also given a five year restraining order banning him from contacting Miss Dearden.
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