A MAN who stabbed his Dursley partner during a row and allowed his dog to join in on an attack on her 14 months later was jailed for three years today.

Joel Armstrong's relationship with Donna Grange had been “toxic and poisonous” and she had been aggressive and provocative towards him at times, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

But Judge Jamie Tabor QC told Armstrong she did not deserve the violence he meted out to her in August 2012 and again in Oct last year.

Armstrong, of no fixed address, who used to live with Ms Grange in Oak Drive, Dursley, admitted assaulting her causing actual bodily harm on August 15 2012 and October 1, 2013.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said that Ms Grange had given birth to a baby only three weeks before the first assault.

"The defendant lost his temper with her on this day and she says he ran at her with a flying kick to the face. It cut her chin and broke a tooth, he said.

Mr Kesner said she then went to a friends house but was followed by Armstrong who then pushed her through a staircase and went to head butt her.

"She then hit him and he went flying. She is quite a large lady,” he said.

"He was on the floor and she went over to apologise to him but he responded by grabbing her hair. He then went into the kitchen and came out with a knife.

"It is true there was an element of provocation on her part. She said 'Oh go on, do it. Do what you're going to do. Put me out of my misery,"

Mr Kesner told the court that Armstrong had then stabbed her twice in the abdomen.

Armstrong then got a tea towel and called the ambulance.

Because of the incident the couple separated and did not see each other again until the following year when the second assault occurred, said Mr Kesner.

But on October 1 in the house on her own with the defendant he ran at her, grabbed her hair and started to take her to the floor.

He pulled open her jaw and put his hand in her mouth and tried to pull her tongue.

"She managed to push him off. But he assaulted her further. The scene was chaotic,” said Mr Kesner.

"His pit-bull-type dog joined in. She was screaming 'get the dog off me.' His response was to laugh. He then kicked her, saying 'You're f***ing having it. I told you I'd come to finish what I started,”

Mr Kesner said she made a victim impact statement saying "I do get a lot of pain in the back of my right eye and headaches which make me feel sick at times. If I get tired it swells up."

She said she is now 'really frightened' to be alone and fears he will come back and hurt her more.

Kannan Siva, defending, said the relationship between the pair had been poisonous and corrosive but she played her part in that and exhibited aggressive behaviour at times.

She had been 'extremely intoxicated' on the first occasion.

It had been 'foolish and unforgiveable' of Armstrong to move back in with her last year, Mr Siva said.

Jailing Armstrong, Judge Tabor said "Neither of you behaved well towards each other. But you as a man and the stronger party had a particular responsibility to ensure you behaved yourself."

The use of a knife elevated the level of the first offence because the victim was just half an inch away from very serious injury, he added.

It was only by luck, not judgement, that she was spared a serious stab wound.