A Colchester man who breached a court order banning him from contacting his former partner on two occasions has been jailed for six months.

Anthony Andrews had been in an on-and-off relationship with the alleged victim for 11 years and in May last year he was made the subject of a non-molestation order banning him from using or threatening violence against her and from going to her home, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

In September last year, Andrews went to her home and during an argument, he allegedly threw a china mug at her, causing a cut to her eyebrow which was glued at hospital.

In January he went back to her home again and during an argument, he had allegedly grabbed hold of her wrist and elbowed her to the side of her face.

Andrews, 32, of Chestnut Way, Colchester, denied unlawfully wounding his former partner in September 2021 and assaulting her by beating in January 2022 and was cleared of both offences after a trial last week.

However, he pleaded guilty to breaching the non-molestation order in September 2021 and January 2022 and on Tuesday (May 24) he was jailed for six months and given an order restricting contact with his former partner indefinitely.

The court heard Andrews had been in custody since January and was therefore eligible for immediate release.

Giving evidence during his trial, Andrews said he hadn’t deliberately injured his partner by throwing the mug at her and claimed that she had reassured him afterwards that it had been an accident.

He also denied deliberately pushing her in January this year.

He admitted grabbing her wrists after she allegedly punched him twice on the side of the face but denied causing an injury to his face to make himself look like the victim.

Andrews accepted breaching the non-molestation order by going to his partner’s house but said he hadn’t carefully read the consequences of breaching the order and didn’t think he would be jailed for it.