A MAN who subjected his girlfriend to years of “horrible abuse” before attacking her with a working drill has been jailed.

Ex-soldier Ashley Poole, 25, grabbed the woman by the neck, pushed her onto a sofa and used a cordless drill to make a three-centimetre long wound to her buttock, said Rob Galley, prosecuting.

Poole had subjected the victim to years of abuse before, with the help of his employer, she was able to go to the police and he was arrested, York Crown Court heard.

Today he is starting an 18-month prison sentence and has been banned from contacting her or going to her place of work indefinitely.

“She has had many months, if not years of abuse from you,” Judge Simon Hickey told him.

“Anyone that uses a drill in that way against your background must expect an immediate sentence (of imprisonment).”

In a victim personal statement, the woman said she had suffered “horrible, physical, emotional and other abuse” for about four years.

On one occasion, Poole had threatened her “she would be in a grave”, said Mr Galley, reading the statement.

She was now fearful and on medication.

Poole, of Sherringham Drive, Woodthorpe, York, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and two assaults.

Mr Galley said after Poole had attacked the woman with the drill, the victim had managed to get Poole off her and left the house but several hours later, he persuaded her to come back.

On a separate occasion he threw a chair at her and when a young child asked how she was, threw a second chair at the victim, hitting her again.

He also hit her with a mug on a third occasion as she was walking upstairs.

She talked to his boss, who arranged for Poole to be away from home for a time working in Blackpool. During his absence, she contacted North Yorkshire Police.

For Poole, Ian Hudson said he had suffered abuse as a child himself and accepted he had to change.

He had been in the Army until he was medically discharged and wanted to go back into the armed forces.

The judge told Poole: “I am not sure the Army would take anyone as unstable and violent as you into their ranks again.”