A FORMER soldier who subjected a woman to a prolonged and persistent attack in Oswestry and then stalked her was jailed for 18 months at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Kirk Hall, 32 and Llwyn Road, was sentenced on Thursday, August 1, for his attack on Clare Sankey, a woman he had been in a relationship with for one month.

Hall pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm (ABH) on March 30 this year but vacated a similar plea to aggravated vehicle taking, but then re-entered it on Monday, July 29, while his driving without insurance plea remained alongside the reduced assault and stalking charges.

Recorder Brand heard that while on a night out at the Ro-Loz bar and nightclub in Oswestry, Ms Sankey had gone outside for a cigarette before she was joined by Hall who grabbed her phone and took the keys for the car she had parked at the Bailey Head.

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While the pair returned to the car, Hall grabbed the woman's head, headbutted her, bit her cheek and then locked inside the car.

He then drove off with her sitting in the passenger seat, without her permission, and each time she tried to get out to escape, he pulled her back and verbally abused her.

His victim managed to get out and he drove off in her car before she called police who took her hospital.

Hall was arrested, released and warned not to go near her but on April 14, Ms Sankey returned from a night out with friends to find Hall intoxicated at her home.

He assaulted her again and police were called, which was repeated a week later when he turned up at her house at 5.15am.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Sankey said: “I’ve been traumatised because of the ongoing situation with him and wondered what I did to deserve this.

“I’ve had nightmares about him. I’m constantly in fear and looking out of the windows to check for his return and double check the door is locked.

“I just want to live in peace.”

Rosemary Proctor, defending, told the court that her client was a former solider "who had seen combat" between 18 and 22 years of age.

She added that Hall "missed the structure being in the army gave him" and that he felt "a failure" to not cope with civilian life which came to a head before starting a relationship with his victim.

“His way of approaching the relationship was another unhealthy coping mechanism,” the barrister added.

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Recorder Brand sentenced Hall to 18 months overall which 18 months reduced to 12 for the ABH, six months consecutive for the aggravated vehicle taking and two months, consecutive, for assault by beating.

Hall received one month for stalking – aggravated by a previous lower court order for a similar offence – to be served concurrently and no separate penalty for driving without insurance.

He was given a restraining order "until further notice" and disqualified for 17 months from driving.