A MAN who punched his former girlfriend, stamped on her head and dragged her down stairs, has been jailed.

Peter Gaughan, of Falcon Close, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, admitted causing actual bodily harm to his ex-partner on New Year’s Eve last year.

The 29-year-old carried out the assault on Emma Wilson at her home in Herschel Crescent, Littlemore, Oxford, leaving her with bruises all over her body.

He was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday.

Miss Wilson also alleged Gaughan had harassed her between October 30 and January 1, but he was cleared after a three-day trial.

He initially denied assault, claiming he had only pushed Miss Wilson during a heated argument. But he changed his plea during the trial and accepted he had punched and dragged his ex-girlfriend down a set of stairs, while still denying he caused all her injuries.

During the trial Jonathan Stone, prosecuting, said the young mother-of-one suffered bruising to her face, neck, arms, chest, legs, shoulder and forehead.

He said when arrested by police and told of the assault allegation, Gaughan replied: “She needs more than that – and she’ll probably get more than that.”

Mr Stone said: “Those injuries are clear. They are as clear as night follows day.

“They didn’t come from a push, they didn’t come from a third party and she didn’t do them to herself.”

Miss Wilson also said that after dragging her downstairs, Gaughan told her to sit in her kitchen, threatened her with a knife and refused to let her leave.

She said: “He was going berserk, just swearing and being very aggressive.

“He got a knife and told me he was going to slice me from my lip to down below.”

Miss Wilson said when her former boyfriend went upstairs she ran out into the street in just a T-shirt and shorts and begged a passer-by to help her.

Peter Du Feu, defending, said although what his client admitted doing was “reprehensible” there were doubts regarding some of the allegations made against him.

Judge Gordon Risius activated a 51-week suspended sentence handed to Gaughan last year for burglary and gave him a consecutive 18-month prison sentence.

Mr Du Feu said when he is released from prison Gaughan would probably go to live with his mother, who was planning to move away from Oxford.