A violent Whitehaven boyfriend with a long history of offending has been banned from contacting the partner he repeatedly attacked for the next ten years.

Paul Walmsley, 38, was this week on trial at Carlisle Crown Court, where he faced an allegation of subjecting his victim to controlling and coercive behaviour and attacking her three times by choking her and causing her serious bodily harm.

He denied all four charges.

But after the jury heard a day of evidence, Walmsley, of Muncaster Close, Whitehaven, admitted three alternative common assault charges, accepting the prosecution's outline of his offending.

In her account, the victim told police her relationship with Walmsley was initially good but when he had been drinking he turned into a 'monster', she said. "His face changes; his eyes change; everything changes about him," she said.

During their relationship, the jury heard, Walmsley repeatedly accused his partner of being unfaithful, checking her phone and contacting men whose number he found, telling them to stay away. "He'd complain when she visited family members such as her mother," said prosecutor Kim Whittlestone.

The barrister outlined three occasions when the defendant attacked the woman, grabbing her by the throat.

It happened the first time in July last year as the couple were staying at a Manchester hotel as part of a belated attempt to celebrate the victim's birthday.

At times sobbing as she gave her evidence, the woman said Walmsley was 'obsessive' about his ex-wife. At the Manchester hotel, they argued and he walked off, leaving her at the bar.

Later, he returned to their room, 'banging on the door' and clearly 'angry'.

He persuaded her to let him into the room but he threatened to thrown himself from a window and tossed her luggage around the hotel room. After this, he pinned her to the bed, choking her.

"He said he'd cut my throat and my family's throat," the women told the jury. The next attacks were in December that year and in January this year. After the defendant admitted the common assaults, Miss Whittlestone outlined his criminal record, which comprises 44 offences.

Dating back to 1999, the offences included assaults, drunken behaviour, possessing a bladed article, a wounding, stalking and sexual matters. His most recent offence was harassment, for which he was given 14 weeks jail.

Recorder Peter Atherton said the trip to Manchester had become a 'very distressing experience' for his former girlfriend.

"It was aggravated, of course, by the misuse of alcohol and, it seems cocaine," said the judge.

The judge said the harm Walmsley had caused his victim was evident from the distress she was in as she gave her evidence.

Recorder Atherton imposed 18 weeks' jail but because of the time the defendant has already spent in custody he was likely to be released in the immediate future, said the judge.

The Recorder also imposed a 10-year restraining order banning any contact with the woman and named members of her family.

Nor can Walmsley go to the streets where they live.

The jury formally declared the defendant not guilty of the coercive and controlling behaviour charge on the judge's direction. He was also formally cleared of the three assault causing actual bodily harm charges.