A CONTROLLING Whitehaven man assaulted his ex-partner and took away medication which left her in pain.

Krys Ritson, 33, had previously been in a relationship with the woman in which there was an “extensive history of domestic violence” perpetrated by him, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

In January, Ritson received a two-year restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex.

After being released from prison in April, Ritson flouted the order by contacting the woman. She also engaged in contact with him.

On June 22, the woman went to a pub with Ritson and a female friend. “The defendant began kicking off in the pub and called the victim a fat scruff and asked her for money,” said prosecutor Harriet Lavin.

She got Ritson £10. All three then went to her address at 2pm but he continued to be abusive.

“He told her to sit down on the sofa but she refused and sat on the arm,” said Ms Lavin. “The defendant then pushed her and then took her glasses from her and threw them behind the sofa, causing them to break.”

As she pushed him to get off her, Ritson shouted he would “tell everyone you’ve hit me”.

She went outside, where a neighbour told Ritson to leave the woman alone. He took her car keys and threatened, if she didn’t go and meet him somewhere, he would “jump off” a quarry.

Later, in a Whitehaven bar, Ritson verbally abused the woman and, as she stood up to walk away, he pushed her to stop her leaving. Ritson, of the town’s Michael Street, was arrested and later admitted common assault, assault by beating and breaching the restraining order.

In an impact statement, the woman described Ritson as “controlling and very paranoid”.

“He was nice at first but then started hitting me,” she stated. She was prescribed medication for Crohn’s disease but said: “He takes it, which causes me pain.”

She added: “Kris has ruined everything in my life and I wish I had never met him. I want to be left alone. I feel like he is not going to stop until I am dead.”

The court heard of Ritson’s shocking past violence against former partners.

Anthony Parkinson, defending, described a chaotic drink and drug-fuelled lifestyle. But he said the woman had also caused problems in their relationship, and made very recent contact.

Recorder Eric Lamb jailed Ritson for 15 months.