A jealous boyfriend who subjected his partner to a series of attacks and harassment during a volatile relationship was been jailed for 30 months today.

Bradford Crown Court heard that 45-year-old Ian Mitchell had previous convictions for assaulting other girlfriends and at the time of the attacks on Janine Mitchell he was subject to a community order which included a requirement to attend a domestic violence programme.

Judge Peter Benson described Mitchell as a big and powerful man who was quite prepared to use his physical strength to effectively 'bully, terrorise and batter'' vulnerable women.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett told the court how the relationship between Mitchell and his dead brother's step-daughter began to deteriorate in October last year.

After she returned from a trip out with friends from work Mitchell accused the mother-of-three of seeing other men.

Mrs Beckett described how Mitchell pinned her down on a bed and put his hands round her throat.

'She felt he was trying to strangle her,'' said Mrs Beckett.

Miss Mitchell was also punched in the back of the head and although she forgave her boyfriend she was scared of him after that.

The following month Mitchell became suspicious about her seeing someone else and threatened to slash her face during another row.

Later that night he held some nail scissors to her neck and cut her lip when he punched her in the face.

After Mitchell turned up at her house and threatened to put the windows through his girlfriend contacted the police and a panic alarm was fitted.

But Mrs Beckett outlined further incidents in November and December when Mitchell visited the house and attacked his partner.

Mitchell, of Blythe Avenue, Girlington, was remanded in custody at the end of January and he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and harassment.

Barrister Simon Myers, for Mitchell, said he now realised that he had put his job and settled life in the community in jeopardy as a result of his outbursts during the course of the relationship.

"One of the difficulties in this relationship has been that his partner has continued to smoke cannabis," said Mr Myers.

"Following the death of his brother from drugs in 2006 he is very opposed to anybody at all being involved in drugs. A lot of the arguments have stemmed from that.

"It has been a relationship that has blown hot and cold."

But Judge Benson said Mitchell had made his girlfriend's life a misery in the latter part of last year and he concluded that he posed a serious risk of committing offences against women involved in relationships with him.

Mitchell may only serve half of the 30 months in jail, but Judge Benson imposed an extended period of licence which will run for the next five years.