An ex-prisoner embarked on a "campaign of assaulting" his partner after his release from jail, said a judge.
Phillip Brogdale was locked up for a total of 18 months, of which he will serve half, and handed a restraining order for three years.
Judge James Sampson said: "The circumstances of these series of offences, plus your record, indicate your nature is bullying, controlling, coercive, violent and self-centred.
"You effectively embarked on your release from jail on a campaign of assaulting your partner".
Brogdale, 39, pleaded guilty to two assaults, causing bodily harm, damaging his partner's phone and common assault.
Nottingham Crown Court heard the couple had been in a relationship. Brogdale was remanded in custody and served a seven-week sentence before his release on August 27.
His partner collected him from prison. Afterwards, Brogdale quizzed her about what she had been doing when he was in prison.
She made a comment to him about him not having any feelings, said Kevin Jones, prosecuting at Nottingham Crown Court.
She described him as 'approaching her and striking her to the face' bruising her eye.
Days later, Brogdale accused her of cheating and sleeping around while he was in prison.
He pinned her to the floor and knelt on her hair which got trapped under his knee.
"The defendant pushed her into a wheelie bin, effectively trying to take her phone from her," explained Mr Jones.
"She bit him to get him off her. He threw her phone over the fence".
Brogdale, of Brookhill Court, Sutton-in-Ashfield, had been drinking when he returned.
"He says he wasn't drunk but had six or seven cans of Stella," said Mr Jones.
She describes how he decided they would sit down and she would tell him everything she did when he was in custody.
He threatened to cut himself with every wrong answer she gave and got a kitchen knife.
He got up and pushed her head into a pillow during that incident.
Brogdale has a previous conviction for criminal damage at an ex-partner's property in 2011, and a domestic incident where he dragged a partner and hit her around her head.
Julia King, mitigating, said he never used the knife to threaten her - only to use on himself.
She also said he became dependent on drugs but has "rid himself of that addiction".
