A SLAUGHTERMAN who beat up his pregnant girlfriend because he thought she had been cheating on him, has been jailed for 12 months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Paul Harry Smith, 21, subjected Adelaide Benetton to a prolonged attack, repeatedly punching her about the head and body, pulling out clumps of her hair, threatening her with death and scraping a knife across her throat.

Miss Benetton was extremely frightened, thought she was going to die and was left with swellings all over her face.

Judge David Pirie, who sentenced Mr Smith, said no course other than custody could be justified.

He added that although the pregnancy later ended, he did not sentence the defendant on the basis his violence caused the termination and it would be quite wrong to do so.

Smith, of Lord Street, Rishton, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and making threats to kill.

William Staunton, prosecuting, said the defendant and his girlfriend went out to Rishton Conservative Club last New Year's Eve and he had 12 pints and five double shots of Jack Daniels to drink. A row broke out, Smith asked Miss Benetton if she had slept with his friend and she sarcastically replied: "Oh yeah,".

He punched her, she fell to the ground and was helped to her feet by somebody else.

When they got to where they lived, Smith started a prolonged assault on his girlfriend.

She screamed and pleaded with him to stop as he went out of control.

Smith started crying, then laughed at the complainant, got one of three knives and and stabbed himself in the thigh. He threatened to kill Miss Benetton's family, spat bread at her, held a second knife at her throat and said he was going to kill her. He finally produced a ten-inch knife and was very aggressive towards the complainant.

John Woodward, defending, said Smith had never been in trouble before and was consumed with contrition.

He had had a considerable amount of alcohol, believed his girlfriend had been unfaithful to him and recalled slapping her three times. What happened afterwards was a bit of a daze to him, said Mr Woodward.