A paralysed Pembroke man given a suspended sentence for driving at 84 mph was jailed today for assaulting his pregnant girlfriend three times.

In August, Lewis Laville, aged 21, had been jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years, for driving his then girlfriend’s Toyota Yaris by using his right hand to press his right leg to accelerate and his left hand on his left leg to brake.

He admitted dangerous driving and being over the drink drive limit and was warned by Judge Paul Thomas at Swansea crown court he had come close to an immediate jail sentence.

Laville, of Powell Close, Pembroke, was back before the same judge today after being convicted by local magistrates of assaulting his girlfriend Jessica Clarke, also 21.

This time he was jailed for six months and ordered to pay a £900 court charge.

Tom Scapens, prosecuting, said Laville knew Miss Clarke was pregnant but on October 4 he became annoyed at how she had driven over a speed bump. He punched her to her arm continuously until they reached his home.

Two days later Miss Clarke drove over another speed bump and Laville punched her again, this time to her head saying the punches to her arm had caused too many visible bruises and in future he would aim for her head.

Two days after that Laville became angry at how Miss Clarke parked the car in the Tesco car park at Pembroke Dock and punched her in her face so hard she temporarily lost her eyesight.

Miss Clarke got Laville into his wheelchair but told him she had had enough and threw the car keys at him.

She then telephoned her father who drove her to a police station. Laville was arrested while still at the car park.

The court heard that Laville had a conviction for assaulting a previous girlfriend.

Mr. Scapens asked Judge Thomas to agree to a request by Miss Clarke for a restraining order preventing Laville from contacting her.

Laville’s barrister, David Williams, produced a letter given to him by Laville and apparently written by Miss Clarke, saying she no longer wished for such an order and wanted to resume her relationship with Laville.

After a short adjournment Mr. Scapens said Miss Clarke had been contacted by telephone and denied any knowledge of the letter.

Judge Thomas said the matter should be investigated by the police to see if there had been an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

Sentencing Laville, Judge Thomas said that in August he had been persuaded to suspend the sentence in the hope that he would turn his life around and stop abusing alcohol.

But within a few weeks he had assaulted a pregnant woman three times while she had been driving a car.

Bearing in mind what Laville had done in August it appeared he had “some sort of desire” to put other road users in danger, added Judge Thomas.