A 'jealous, controlling' thug beat up his partner because she said her ex was better looking than Cristiano Ronaldo, a court heard.
Ross Flynn launched a brutal attack on his girlfriend at their home in June last year, Chronicle Live reports.
They had been in the pub and returned home to watch football when Flynn turned violent over the Manchester United striker.
Flynn, who has previous convictions for domestic violence, asked whether his partner found the footballer more attractive than her ex.
When she said her ex, he punched her in the jaw, face and head and called her a 'prostitute'.
Now Flynn, who went on to attack his victim again, fracturing her nose by kicking her in the face, has been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court.
The court was told how the defendant, 31, subjected the victim to a campaign of abuse, isolating her from her friends and verbally and physically abusing her.
He became more violent when the pair moved in together, the court was told.
In an account captured on body worn footage after the first attack, the victim said: "He asked who is better looking, Cristiano Ronaldo or your ex.
"My ex before him committed suicide and I said I don't find Cristiano Ronaldo attractive, so I said my ex.
"He started hitting me. He went 'how dare you say you ex is better looking that Cristiano Ronaldo, that means I'm not better looking that your ex'.
"I said Cristiano Ronaldo isn't my type."
Flynn, from Stockton, and the complainant got together last February and moved in together after four weeks.
But things turned volatile and more and more violent and he became 'extremely controlling and jealous'.
When they went out, she had to be careful who she looked at or spoke to as he would accuse her of cheating.
She had to stop speaking to her male friends due to Flynn's behaviour and ended up feeling isolated.
The victim had also been a regular user of social media but he made her delete her profiles.
On June 14 last year they returned home from the pub and were watching football when Flynn turned violent over Ronaldo.
Omar Ahmad, prosecuting, said: "He asked if she was more attracted to Cristiano Ronaldo or her now ex partner, who is deceased.
"She said her ex partner and the defendant became extremely angry, calling her a liar.
"He punched her to the left side of the jaw, causing her immediate pain.
"He kept calling her a liar and a s**t and a prostitute.
"She was sat on the edge of the bed and the defendant punched her twice to the face very hard. She felt immediate pain and was dazed.
"He continued verbally abusing her, calling her names and she felt three or four extremely hard punches to the back of her head."
Flynn told her to "f****** shut up and get to sleep or you know what will happen".
But she managed to call police and he was arrested.
She suffered extensive bruising and swelling around her eyes, face, a lump to her forehead, a cut to the back of her head and bruising to her forearms and hands.
On July 29, having been convinced to give him another chance, they were at a friend's home in East Rainton, when he rived her mobile phone from her hand and threw it, smashing the screen.
Then on August 2 they were at the same address when he attacked her again.
His initial attempt to hit her was thwarted by the friend but Mr Ahmad said: "While she was sat in a chair in the kitchen rolling a cigarette, he kicked her in the face, connecting with her jaw and nose, which burst, pouring with blood.
"She fell to the floor and he tried to kick her again but the friend intervened and prevented it."
The victim left and went to a nearby hotel and asked staff to call the police.
She was left with a fractured nose and bruising and swelling to her jaw.
In a victim impact statement, she said: "I feel scared and on edge all the time.
"I feel like I'm walking on egg shells when I'm around him. I'm fed up.
"I used to be really confident but felt I couldn't talk to anyone without worrying he would take it the wrong way.
"I'm just not myself anymore. I've had enough."
Flynn, 31, of Russell Street, Stockton, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, controlling or coercive behaviour and criminal damage.
He was jailed for four years with an extended licence period of a further year.
The court heard Flynn has form for being abusive in relationships.
He was jailed in 2020 for assaulting a former partner and in 2018 he was also locked up for attacking another ex.
Lewis Kerr, defending, said Flynn had written a letter expressing remorse.
He added: "He said he should not have hit a woman and has not learned from his mistakes."
