A thug teen has been jailed for assaulting his girlfriend while she was carrying their child.

Louis Griffin spent Christmas behind bars after being convicted of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend and a police officer earlier this year.

Griffin, of Mandeville Way, Benfleet, denied any wrongdoing in the incident with his partner but was convicted of four offences after a trial at Southend Magistrates' Court. 

The 19-year-old was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend and damaging a Samsung Galaxy S7 which belonged to a relative on July 21 last year.

He was also convicted of assaulting PC Billy Nash at an address in Benfleet on August 1 last year, despite denying the attack, and was sentenced for assaulting two other officers - PS Paveley and PC Guest - in a separate incident on November 12, which he admitted at an earlier hearing.

At the sentencing hearing, Griffin was jailed for 20 weeks. 

Chairman of the bench Ian Currie said: "This offence was serious because it was a sustained assault on his partner within her own home while she was carrying their baby.

"The defendant also has a history of non-conviction assaults on partners. He has also a number of assaults on police officers and aggressive behaviour."

The court heard Griffin was sentenced without a pre-sentence report because of the seriousness of the offences.

Mr Currie added: "The defendant denies any violence and the only community requirement that might be suitable would be building better relationships programme.

"The court considers the offences and the defendant's behaviour justify an immediate custodial sentence".

Griffin was jailed for 20 weeks and made the subject of a 12-month restraining order which prohibits him from contacting his partner or visiting her at her home on Canvey save through solicitors or family courts.

The order was granted "to protect the victim from harm" and will expire on December 19 this year.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115.