A woman was left so frightened after her ex-partner tried to stop her from leaving that she ran into a road and asked a complete stranger to drive her away, a court has heard.

Liam Jones-Nicoll, from Newtown, was jailed for 10 months for pushing his former girlfriend and causing her eye to bleed and swell and injure her thumb on two separate occasions following arguments.

The 30-year-old, who the court heard tried to create false evidence, was sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, February 28 after changing his pleas last week.

The court was told that on July 19 last year the pair had argued at Jones-Nicoll's home after his ex-girlfriend returned his mobile phone.

The prosecution said the 30-year-old, who has previously been jailed for a serious public order offence, swore and leaned into her face before pushing and causing her to fall forwards. He was "clearly shocked" when she got up with blood coming from her eye which later swelled up so badly she could hardly see.

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Jones-Nicoll, of Dinas, Treowen, told police she had tripped.

On October 7, Jones-Nicoll's ex went to his house and tried to give the relationship another go despite the 30-year-old being ordered by the court not to go near her.

But after he had been drinking all night the pair had argued, resulting in his ex telling him she was leaving. Jones-Nicoll injured her thumb as she tried to flee, after which she grabbed her backpack and stopped a passing car and asked the driver to take her away.

The driver said in a statement that the woman was "panicking" and struggled to get her words out.

In a victim impact statement read out by the prosecutor in court, the woman said she had "never felt so low" and that she used to be a "happy and bubbly" person.

Jones-Nicoll's barrister Jemma Gordon told the court that he wanted to put the incidents behind him.

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"He has concerns whether she would make any contact with him. He knows he will be subject of a restraining order,” she said.

Sentencing Jones-Nicoll to eight months in prison for actual bodily harm and two months for common assault, Judge Parry said he accepted that he didn't intend to injure his ex-partner in either incident.

He said: "I am pleased about your positive use of time in prison but, of course, I have to consider in this case that realistically there is no alternative to being an immediate custodial sentence."

He also made a restraining order banning Jones-Nicoll from going within 100 yards of his victim's home, contacting her, or making reference to her on social media.

He said: "It will be for five years so the air can be cleared and you can both get on with your lives.”