A 27-year-old man who broke into a Letchworth home to attack a woman he was already on a suspended sentence for beating is now behind bars.

Stevenage magistrates jailed Christopher Marshall – of Lymn Avenue in Gedling, near Nottingham – for 20 weeks on Tuesday after he admitted two counts of beating the woman.

Marshall also pleaded guilty to violently forcing entry, two charges of damaging the woman’s property, and resisting arrest.

Marshall was given 16-week jail term, suspended for two years, in October last year after being convicted of three counts of assault against the woman over a period of five months.

These new offences happened on January 12 and March 10 this year.

Chairman of the bench Douglas Steele noted the similarity of the offences to those that had come before while passing sentence.

In addition to the 20-week prison sentence, Marshall must pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.