Jealous Castleford boyfriend asked for prison for punching girlfriend after 48-hour bender

Jack Tomlinson conceded he had a problem with Class A drugs when he attacked the woman and was held on remand following his arrest.

He was jailed for 13 months at Leeds Crown Court this week, but made the unusual request before sentencing to remain behind bars.

Mitigating for the 29-year-old, Marc Luxford said: “This period of imprisonment has been sobering. He was struggling with drugs.

“It’s allowed him time reflect that he can’t rely on the excuses he used to do. He wants to come out and get a full-time job and move away from the area.

“He instructs me he feels like a new man. He does not seek a suspended sentence and as much as possible, welcomes that to turn his life around. There’s genuine remorse on his part.”

The court was told that Tomlinson, of Gypsy Lane, Castleford had been in an “on/off” relationship with the woman for around 10 years, but she said he became “jealous, possessive and controlling”, had a “long-standing addiction” to drugs and would often become violent towards her.

On January 16 the couple went out to socialise, she returned home but he said he would back later. He did not turn up until two days later.

She was preparing to go to work at around 7.30am when he arrived, later telling police he was abusive and had “obviously been taking drugs”.

He refused to tell her where he had been, and he accused her of having an affair. After she tried to take his phone, he kicked her in the stomach with such force she fell down and began to cry.

She then tried to leave the house and call the police but he followed her outside. He punched her in the face when she told him she had called the police, which was witnessed by the taxi driver who had arrived to collect her for work.

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Tomlinson then fled before the police arrived. Then on February 8 she returned home from shopping to find him in her bedroom. He jealously accused her of being in contact with with someone on Snapchat and went through her phone contacts, refusing to give it back.

He then took off with her phone and bought a bottle of vodka at a local shop using the device to pay. He returned to her home at around 9.30pm, and argued again, with Tomlinson damaging a ceramic money box and her bed. The police were called and he was arrested.

He has six previous convictions for 13 offences, including previous domestic violence incidents.

He later admitted a charge of ABH and criminal damage. As well as the jail sentence, Judge Kate Rayfield also gave him a five-year restraining order to keep him away from the woman.