A drunk lout chillingly asked a hotel receptionist "what beer would you recommend having before killing someone?" and then viciously attacked his child's mum on a roundabout.
Lee Cunliffe subjected his girlfriend to the sustained assault after she retreated to the road following an angry phone call and his aggressive behaviour.
The 35-year-old, from Warrington, swung the nurse around by her hair after punching her in the head and slapped her face several times.
The frightened woman tried to run away through bushes, but her route was eventually blocked by a fence, leading to more violence.
The assault happened outside a hotel near the Trafford Centre, in Manchester, close to 1am, and followed a dispute between Cunliffe and his partner had the previous day.
The couple, who have a four-year-old daughter together, were staying in the accommodation near the retail mall on January 4, but had a bust-up while shopping.
They went their separate ways, but agreed to meet later at the hotel.
At 12.45am, Cunliffe, from the Orford area of Warrington, asked staff if he could use a charger to phone his girlfriend, but employees grew worried after hearing him speaking "very aggressively" during the subsequent conversation with her.
Cunliffe, who was last year sentenced in Liverpool for possession of an offensive weapon, casually asked the female staff member: "What beer would you recommend having before killing someone?"
The stunned employee asked him what he had said, so he repeated it, leaving her "worried" as the dad then went off to confront his girlfriend.
She suffered an injury to her hand, initially suspected to be a broken finger, which later turned out to be damaged tendons.
Hotel staff who saw she was in distress took her back inside to safety and police were called.
Kate Gaskell, prosecuting, said when officers arrived she had leaves in her hair, marks on her face, and her finger was bent in an unusual position.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said she still suffers with pain in her hand whilst working and driving.
She also said she had "a lot of feelings of shame and embarrassment".
The mum added: "He's previously told me would kill me and make a mess of me.
"I feel safe now he's been arrested and is not near me."
Cunliffe, of Patterdale Avenue, was arrested and charged and later pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.
He was jailed for 12 months at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, yesterday.
David Polglase, defending, had urged the judge to suspend any prison sentence.
However, the court heard Cunliffe received a suspended sentence last year, for the offensive weapon case heard in Liverpool, which the dad had breached by committing this latest offence.
The barrister said: "Although the assault was sustained and there was an element of repetition it did not go on for a prolonged period of time.
"It was however, he must concede, committed whilst he was under the influence of intoxicating drink.
"He's 35 and he's not particularly heavily convicted compared to others of his age.
"Whilst in custody he has had plenty of time to reflect.
"He maintains the support of his family."
Judge John Potter told Cunliffe: "On the night in question you went out however you had an argument and went your separate ways,
"However it appears you were still angry with [your victim].
"Immediately after having spoken to hotel staff you went outside the hotel to meet her and the argument continued.
"It continued on your part in the form of physical abuse.
"Understandably she was frightened by this appalling behaviour and ran away but you chased her and swung her around.
"I have come to the view she suffered serious psychological harm as well as the physical damage which has been outlined."
