A MAN who punched and bit his girlfriend in a terrifying New Year’s Eve assault has been jailed.

Twenty one-year-old Dean Murray, of Govilon, Abergavenny, beat his girlfriend to the ground after a "trivial" argument about how he treated her dog.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how he repeatedly punched her and also bit her on the back, before chasing her down an alleyway where he continued the assault.

In a victim impact statement read in court on Monday, the 41-year-old victim said she was terrified during the attack.

The couple had been out celebrating New Year’s Eve when an argument broke out about how Murray treated the victim's parents’ dog.

When they returned to her home, the defendant was "cruel" to one of her dogs, and when she spoke to him about it, he punched her in the face.

“The force of that blow forced her to the floor,” said Gareth James, prosecuting. “Leaning over her, the defendant punched her repeatedly to the face.

“She thinks she briefly lost consciousness.”

The woman then pushed him off and ran down an alleyway, attempting to get help from neighbours.

Murray grabbed her in the alleyway and bit her.

Mr James said: "She described him as appearing like a psychopath. She had never been so scared in her life.”

After fleeing from the attack, the woman came across a group of youths who asked her what had happened.

She told them Murray had assaulted her, and a scuffle broke out in which Murray was attacked by the group.

When emergency services arrived, Murray was arrested and the victim was taken to Nevill Hall Hospital.

The court heard, Murray had been drinking cocktails and was "completely drunk".

He had no recollection of the attack and when questioned expressed shock and remorse.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was afraid of going out alone since the attack and felt trapped.

She has since been living with her mother and remains "terrified" of Murray.

Sentencing Murray, Judge Thomas Crowther said: “You had so much to drink that you had little idea of what you were doing.

“It is clear that this attack has for the moment changed the victim from an independent, confident woman, to one who is now shied away from the outside world.

“When you carried out this attack, she was ill-equipped to resist you. She was helpless.”

He sentenced Murray to 26 months in prison, of which he will serve half. A restraining order was also made.