A violent Narberth man has been warned on Wednesday to prepare himself for jail after a jury found him guilty of attacking his former partner three times.

Experts will assess just how dangerous Terrance Mark Thomas, aged 41, is to the public and particularly women before sentence is passed.

Thomas, of The Flat, the Kebab House, Market Street, was convicted after a trial at Swansea Crown Court of assaulting Lynsey Marie James three times causing her actual bodily harm on each occasion.

He was cleared of a fourth similar allegation.

The judge, Mr. Recorder Jeremy Jenkins, said he would sentence Thomas after a probation officer had prepared a report into his background.

But he warned him: "You have a formidable record of violence, and violence against women.

"You should prepare yourself for a custodial sentence. I hold out no hope of any other sentence.

"The entry point is custody."

Mr. Recorder Jenkins said the jury had quite correctly returned guilty verdicts on compelling evidence.

Thomas's offending, he added, represented a course of conduct against Miss James which resulted in painful and unnecessary injuries.

The jury had heard how Thomas became violent within a few weeks of Miss James moving in with him.

James Jenkins, prosecuting, described Thomas as a 'controller' who had a propensity to use violence whenever he came across something he did not agree with.

Miss James, who gave evidence from behind a screen, said Thomas banned her from walking her dogs on her own and would not let her attend early morning swimming sessions. Nor would he let her go shopping on her own and even insisted on walking her to her sister's home.

On one occasion, he twisted her left arm and banged her head on a wooden floor.

In another attack in a bedroom, he put his fingers inside her mouth and pulled her cheek causing her to hit her head on the floor.

She suffered cuts to her ear and lip and received treatment at the accident and emergency unit at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest.

Thomas had denied attacking Miss James between May 30 and June 10 last year, and on July 11, 14 and 15.

Giving evidence, he admitted hitting Miss James and that it was his fault that she attended Withybush for treatment on two occasions.

But he claimed Miss James had been violent towards him on occasions.

Thomas was granted bail until the sentencing hearing.