An amateur rugby player who bashed down the door at his former partner’s home and beat up her friend has been jailed for 27 months.

Dwaine Smith had drank up to 11 pints and taken “some sort of tablet” when he attacked Stephen Cox after bursting into a house in Milton Street, Skipton , on December 2 last year.

Smith, 26, a trainee mechanic, of Coronation Mount, Keighley , flew into a drunken rage when he discovered Mr Cox watching television at Hannah Kitson’s home, Bradford Crown Court heard. He pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Mr Smith and to criminal damage to Miss Kitson’s front door and car wing mirror.

Prosecutor Martin Robertshaw said yesterday that Smith had been in a relationship with Miss Kitson and they had a child together.

They split up in the summer of 2011 and Mr Cox, Miss Kitson’s neighbour, became a helpful friend to her.

Smith banged on the door after 10pm, threatened to shoot Mr Cox and broke into the house.

He launched a sustained attack on Mr Cox, punching him repeatedly and kicking him in the head.

Mr Cox was treated in hospital for a laceration to his ear that had left him scarred.

Smith caused almost £1,000 of damage to the house and car, the court heard.

He was arrested at a local taxi office and told police he was “fairly drunk” that night.

He had previously served a three-year custodial sentence for drugs offences.

Smith’s barrister, Jayne Beckett, said he was ashamed of himself.

He and Miss Kitson had been together for three years and he still loved her, the court heard.

“He had some sort of personal meltdown that night,” Mrs Beckett said.

He felt a genuine sense of shame and regret that he had behaved in that way in Miss Kitson’s home, with their young child sleeping upstairs.

Judge Jonathan Rose told Smith: “This was an outrageous and dreadful piece of behaviour.”

Mr Cox was a totally innocent victim who had received nasty injuries in a sustained assault.

“This was a brutal intrusion into the home of your former partner and of your daughter,” Judge Rose said.

He made a restraining order without limit of time banning Smith from having any contact with Miss Kitson.