AN ex-boyfriend launched a “sickening attack” on his former partner outside a city nightclub after knocking her unconscious with a karate kick.

Matthew Powell assaulted the woman outside Newport’s The Courtyard venue after she told him she was pregnant, the city’s crown court heard.

The 30-year-old defendant had previously attacked her and demanded she terminate the pregnancy, prosecutor Bethan Evans said.

Powell’s barrister Nigel Fryer told the court his client has been served with no evidence that she is pregnant.

Miss Evans had said earlier: “The defendant is the ex-partner of the complainant and they had an on and off relationship which ended in May.

“In June he found out she was pregnant with his child. He was angry and said she had done this to trap him and she should terminate the baby and told her he would take matters into his own hands if she didn’t do so.”

The prosecutor said that in the first assault, when the former couple met to discuss the pregnancy, Powell “started to shout abuse at her and told her she had to get rid of the baby”.

He then caused her to fall into a shoe rack before he tried to kick her and dragged her around his flat and punched her in the back of the head.

The second attack took place at 4.30am on Saturday August 10 in Newport city centre.

Miss Evans said the pair had bumped into each other at the La Bamba nightclub at around 1am where Powell had insulted his ex-girlfriend.

She told the court that when the victim was at the smoking area outside The Courtyard three hours later, their paths crossed again.

It was here that Powell kicked the woman in the face after she had been held back from him.

Miss Evans played CCTV footage which captured the attack.

Powell, of Mariners Court, East Dock Road, Newport, pleaded guilty to common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He told police in interview that he had been “very drunk and had a poor recollection of the incident”.

In a victim impact statement, the complainant said: “I am on edge. I don’t know what Matthew will do next, he is so unpredictable.”

She said she was “petrified of him”.

Powell, the court was told, has 16 previous convictions for 30 offences, including battery, witness intimidation, burglary and public disorder.

Mr Fryer, mitigating, said: “The defendant’s reaction to the CCTV is that he is disgusted with himself and is appalled by his behaviour.

“He wants to apologise to the victim for the clear distress he caused her that night.”

He told the court how the pair had been in a “toxic relationship and are better off not seeing each other”

Mr Fryer added: “It was a stormy relationship which would often end in arguments.

“He has no evidence that she has served on him confirming that she is pregnant.”

Judge Williams told Powell: “It is clear you provoked her into her losing her temper.

“You then launched a sickening attack on her. You kicked her in the face and you followed it up with a kick when she was on the ground unconscious.”

Powell was jailed for 18 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge upon his release from prison.

He is also prohibited from contacting his victim directly or indirectly for five years after the judge imposed a restraining order.