A FORMER Lechlade resident who beat his girlfriend black and blue before setting fire to her flat while she lay unconscious on the floor, has been jailed for four years.

Jealous Daniel Legg, 23, of Delaway Close, Swindon, but formerly of Lechlade, subjected Natalie Bird to what he called 'Dan's Law' - monitoring her every move and constantly checking her mobile phone.

Gloucester crown court heard he "went berserk" on June 6, this year at the Lechlade flat where they lived together

Sentencing Legg, who appeared via video link from Hewell prison, Judge Euan Ambrose told him: "This was an on-off relationship marred by alcohol and drug abuse and your violent and controlling behaviour towards Ms Bird.

"On June 6 you hit her on the back of the head and then continued an assault upon her.

"She called her mum who heard her screaming on the phone and neighbours could also hear you shouting and your ex-partner screaming.

"You also smashed up the flat and pushed over the oven, while it was turned on, on to its front, causing scorching and smouldering.

"Had it not been for the intervention of a neighbour who had to cover his face with a shirt because of the acrid smoke and enter the flat to turn off the oven, things could have been much worse, there could have been a disaster.

"When police arrived they described your victim as having been beaten black and blue.

"Her injuries – bruising, grazes, cuts and scratches to her face, head and body – were extensive and she had to go to hospital for treatment. There was blood on the flat walls and a door.

"When police tried to arrest you, you struggled violently and thrashed about, kicking two officers.

"The struggling continued outside the block of flats in front of numerous neighbours, including a small child."

Judge Ambrose sentenced Legg to a total of three years and nine months for arson while being reckless as to whether life is endangered and assaulting Ms Bird occasioning her actual bodily harm and to three months jail consecutively for assaulting the police officers.

A restraining order preventing the defendant from contacting directly or indirectly Natalie Bird, who is now pregnant with Legg's child, was put in place permanently.

Legg has admitted all the charges.

Earlier prosecuting barrister Julian Kesner said: "The defendant desired to control every aspect of her life and when she expressed a wish to leave the small community of Lechlade and move to Gloucester he realised he could lose his tight control over her which he referred as 'Dan's Law.'

"And on June 1 this control desire triggered the assaults, criminal damage and arson.

"They faced eviction from the Lechlade flat because of the defendant's behaviour towards Ms Bird's friend and went to Gloucester looking at flat but on their return the defendant started to turn nasty.

"They had both been drinking and she sat on a park bench while he went back to the flat.

"She went to various pubs drinking because she knew she would be assaulted when she returned and she wanted to feel numb.

"When she returned he hit her on the back of the head and she lost consciousness.

"When she came to the flat was full of acrid, choking smoke and her bottom clothing was missing although she did not know why.

"He had gone berserk because he was losing control of what he wanted most to control – her.

"He caused damage in the flat to tables and doors and bedding was found in the kitchen in front of the cooker which had been pushed over and was turned on.

"The smoke alarm had gone off and a neighbour put a shirt over his mouth, got into the flat and turned off the cooker at the wall.

"Ms Bird had sustained serious injuries to her face and ribs and was black and blue all over.

"When Legg was finally interviewed by police he had consumed five pints of beer and two bottles of wine."

Defending lawyer John Lynch said: "This came out of frustration and was not as one-sided as it appears.

"They had both consumed a lot of alcohol and my client realises that he must address his alcohol and anger issues.

"Ms Bird is now pregnant with my client's child and he tells me that she wants him to have contact with the child and has been writing to him in jail."

But police contacted Ms Bird during the court appearance yesterday and reported back to the judge that this was not the case and she did not want the relationship to resume.

She said that she had written to him once but he had sent her numerous messages.