A despicable domestic abuser assaulted his ex partner while she was holding her baby - having previously told her he hoped her unborn child died during a previous attack.
Violent control freak Paul Smith was locked up last summer after punching, kicking and trying to push the woman down stairs, telling her "I hope the baby is dying" when she said she was in pain.
Just after being released from a 31 week sentence for that, he was back at it again, assaulting her on three separate occasions and breaching his restraining order.
Now the 32-year-old thug, of Scarborough Road, Newcastle, has been jailed for four years at Newcastle Crown Court.
Sentencing him, Recorder Dapinder Singh said: "Here is somebody who has not learned anything from their record of previous convictions and continues to be beyond a menace in a domestic setting and is a danger to his partners, quite frankly."
The court heard Smith had been given a restraining order previously but they stayed together as she was frightened of him.
On November 23 last year, they had a row and Smith punched her in chest so hard it was still hurting five weeks later.
He also grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to a fence, holding her neck so tightly she could hardly speak.
Then, on December 17, there was another of their frequent rows and he hit her four or five times to the head using the palm of his hand and took her phone and keys so she couldn't leave the house.
The court heard that on January 3, a more serious attack took place.
Having called her abusive names and belittled her, he then told her she was going to get the "hiding of her life".
Jessica Slaughter, prosecuting, said: "He hit her a number of times around the head and left ear.
"He took a key and held it against her throat at the same time and said 'I will slit your throat and make sure you are dead'.
"Her older son, who is seven, witnessed the abusive behaviour and throughout, she said she was holding a young baby who was three months old.
"A neighbour who came to help describes the baby as crying and the seven-year-old looked very confused and kept apologising to the neighbour.
"She said he demanded that she put the child down but she refused and he continued to assault her regardless."
The victim was left with concussion and a hole in her left ear drum.
She said in a victim impact statement: "I'm controlled and manipulated by Paul, he controls everything I do and won't let me do anything.
"I'm scared and worried about what will happen next, I know he will hurt me again and this time I'm worried how bad it will be.
"I'm emotionally drained and I no longer want to be with him, not just for my safety but to keep my children safe."
Smith, who has 43 previous convictions, including for offences against the same partner and a previous girlfriend, pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order - his fourth such conviction - assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.
He was jailed for four years and given an indefinite restraining order.
Referring to the assault in January, Recorder Singh said: "Throughout, she was holding a three month old baby in her arms and this was witnessed by a seven-year-old child."
Jamie Adams, defending, said: "He disputed that she was holding the baby at any stage but not that the children were present.
"There are two sides to every story but I do accept these are unpleasant incidents of violence and temper and aggression."
Mr Adams said Smith had a difficult childhood and asked him to address the court.
Smith said: "I've been getting help for cocaine addiction."
Asked how he felt about his behaviour, he said: "It's been horrendous, that's the top and bottom of it. I apologise remorsefully for my actions."
He said he had been doing courses in prison to improve himself.
