A "violent and controlling" man went on a tirade of harassment against two women in five months and even deleted contacts from their phones.

Mitchell Ridgwell, 33, from Southampton, left his former partners in fear for their own safety during both relationships.

On one occasion, Ridgwell took the phone belonging to Katie Clarke and questioned who she was contacting, before removing one of her friends on Facebook.

In an angry rage, he went outside and kicked rubbish all over the garden, said prosecutor Keely Harvey, the phone still in his possession.

Fearful for her safety, Ms Clarke tried to call her mum using an Alexa device, but Ridgwell stormed back into the property and “ripped all such devices from the plug sockets”.

Ms Harvey said: “He said to her ‘you are lucky I don’t spit on your face you dirty tramp’ before he threw a drink at her face.”

She told the court how he later asked Ms Clarke to send him photos of DIY he had completed in her garden.

When she did not send the photos immediately, he threatened to jump her garden fence and take the pictures himself.

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Ms Harvey said: “She begged him not to as she was at work, and she felt so scared she stayed at her mum’s house.

“He went to her house and left gifts at her door and she asked him to stop before blocking him.

“The defendant then used his mother’s phone to contact her.

The 'unwanted and persistent' contact 'began to make her feel very unsafe in her home', Ms Harvey said.

The prosecutor also told the court about Ridgwell’s previous relationship with Abigail Bryant from earlier in 2023.

The victim frequently received “silent phone calls” from the defendant, where only tapping and whistling could be heard on the other end of the line.

She was also assaulted by Ridgwell, Ms Harvey told the court. 

Ridgwell, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of controlling and coercive behaviour, one count of assault causing actual bodily harm, two counts of battery, and one count of harassment.

Defending Ridgwell, Ruba Huleihel said: “This is a man who is capable of keeping out of trouble for long periods.

“He does accept responsibility, and he is remorseful.”

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Rowland said: “It seems to me you are a violent and controlling bully.

“The delays you have caused to the proceedings have exacerbated the pain and suffering these women have endured.”

He was handed a 36 month prison sentence. 

This consisted of 12 months for the controlling and coercive behaviour, 24 months for assault causing actual bodily harm, and three months for battery, to run concurrently.

He was also handed three months for the second count of battery and a 12 month consecutive sentence for harassment, to run concurrently.