A MAN who attacked his ex-girlfriend in her home and threatened her with a 14-inch knife has been jailed.

Christian Kingsley, 32, also known as Ian King, was sentenced to 29 weeks in prison when he appeared before Dorchester Crown Court.

Angela England, prosecuting, said that Kingsley whose address was given to the court as HMP Dorchester, entered Madison Maguire’s flat on February 22 and immediately began threatening her.

She said: “They both went into the kitchen and the defendant took a 12 to 14 inch-long kitchen knife from the block.

“He then made stabbing motions towards her.

“He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the kitchen. Kingsley struck her on the side of her jaw. It was a big punch which caused her a great deal of pain.

“She ended up lying on the floor. He straddled her and struck her again to the side of the head as she shouted for help.”

Miss England said Neil Holder arrived at the flat and the defendant punched him around the head about ten times.

Kingsley then stole a number of items from Miss Maguire’s handbag, she said.

He has 23 previous convictions for 74 offences, many of which were related to domestic violence, the court was told.

In 2005 he was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, threats to kill and cruelty to a child, Miss England said.

She said: “The incident took place in the street. The defendant assaulted his partner and threatened her with a butcher’s knife in the presence of her small baby, who was one-and-a-half months old.

“He punched and kicked her. Then he took the baby, which was in a car seat, and dropped it on the ground.”

In mitigation Jamie Porter said Kingsley entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.

Judge Roger Jarvis told the defendant: “You must understand that you will spend the rest of your life in prison if you carry on like this, you really have to get a grip.”