'Jealous and pathetic': Violent 'coward' ripped hair extensions out of his girlfriend's head and trashed the home of former partner

Ryan Stephenson from Pontefract left his victim with a black eye and pulled her hair so hard that her hair extensions came out during the drink and drug-fuelled attack in her own home.

Stephenson also broke into another victim's home and used a knife to destroy a sofa and damage flooring.

Leeds Crown Court heard Stephenson has a history of committing domestic violence offences against women.

Kitty Colley, prosecuting, said: "He displays a paranoid and volatile personality towards girlfriends and their friends."

The court heard Stephenson burgled the home of the first victim in October last year.

The couple had been in a relationship for around eight months.

Days before the break-in he became angry with the victim and accused her of texting other men before grabbing a mobile phone out of her hand and smashing it.

Over the next few days Stephenson sent the victim threatening text messages.

On October 18 she received a message from Stephenson which read: "Have you been home yet? You need to go home and decide what you are going to do."

She went to the property to find a window had been smashed and a sofa and mattress had been destroyed with a knife.

Damage worth £450 had also been caused to kitchen flooring.

The court heard the woman and her young son were unable to live at the house as a result of the damage.

Stephenson was arrested and refused to comment when interviewed.

Ms Colley said Stephenson was released on bail and started a new relationship with another woman the following month.

On May 22 this year he attacked the husband of a former girlfriend by grabbing him by the throat outside the Hope and Anchor pub in Pontefract.

The defendant attacked his new partner the following day after becoming angry because she had been for a night out with her friends.

He went to her home and demanded that she get out of bed and go for a meal with him at a pub.

He continued to be threatening and aggressive while they were there and she left in a taxi.

Stephenson turned up at her home in the early hours of the morning while she was in bed.

He then subjected her to a degrading attack after accusing her of being with another man.

Ms Colley said: "She described him as ragging her head so hard that her hair extensions were ripped from her head.

"She thought he was going to kill her."

Stephenson also smashed her phone during the attack.

Neighbours contacted police after the woman ran to them for help.

When interviewed by the police he claimed he had caused the injuries in self defence.

Stephenson, of Larks Hill, Pontefract, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two of criminal damage, burglary and common assault.

A probation service report into his offending stated: "There is a clear pattern of domestic abuse perpetrated by Mr Stephenson, more often than not when under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.

"Mr Stephenson poses a high risk of serious harm to women, particularly those he is in a relationship with."

Craig Macgregor, mitigating, said Stephenson pleaded guilty to the offences at an early stage.

Stephenson was jailed for three years and four months.

Sentencing, Recorder Nicholas Lumley QC said: "At the age of 33, you are, or ought to be, old enough to know better. But apparently not."

Describing the attack on the second victim, he said: "You were jealous and you were, and remain to be, pathetic.

"You hurt her, you violated her and you marked her body in several places."

Recorder Lumley added: "(Both victims) will take a long time to recover from what you did to them. They will be scarred psychologically by what you did."