A THUG smashed his partner’s head against a rock, threw a bin’s contents over her car and strangled her - but has still been spared jail.

Daniel Ballard has been slapped with a five-year restraining order following a turbulent relationship where he assaulted and threatened the woman.

The offences took place during the relationship which lasted about nine months in 2019.

The 30-year-old of Lincoln Close, Southend, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday for putting a person in fear of violence by harassment, destroying property and assault by beating.

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said: “It was somewhat turbulent from the early stages.

“In January 2019 she had been driving her car with the defendant in the passenger seat and he began punching himself and the interior of the car, and threatened to break her jaw if she didn’t pull over.

“When she stopped he attempted to strangle her with one hand restricting her breath, and then punched her in the face.”

Mr Potts said on another occasion Ballard armed himself with a knife and accused the woman of cheating, and used the knife to burst her tyres.

On another occasion when the couple were travelling on the M2 in Kent and Ballard demanded she pull over.

Mr Potts said: “He dragged her out by the hair and legs. He started to strangle her and caused redness and bruising. She sat on the bend begging him not to leave her on the motorway.

“He threw her phone in the bushes and headbutted her and dropped her in such a way that her head hit a rock.”

On May 24 that year, the woman noticed in the morning a bin was on top of her car with the contents strewn over it, and when she confronted Ballard, he replied that he “knew how to get her to talk to him”.

Further violent incidents saw Ballard threatening the woman’s neighbour when he confronted him about his behaviour, and him grabbing her by the throat and pushing her against a wall.

Judge Samantha Leigh told Ballard: “Your behaviour fell far below what it should have been in a caring and loving relationship.” Ballard was given a two year suspended prison term, 200 hours unpaid work, 60 days rehabilitation and a £200 fine.