A jealous and controlling man punched and kicked his pregnant ex-girlfriend in the stomach and face and burned her leg with a cigarette, a court heard.

Norman Smith told his victim she was going to die as he attacked her after she started a relationship with another man, a jury at Bristol Crown Court was told.

It is claimed the 36-year-old forced Roisin Boswell to go to his flat against her will and only set her free after she begged him to let her go to hospital.

Smith, of Easton Road, Easton, denies kidnapping Miss Boswell on September 11 last year and causing her actual bodily harm. He has admitted causing criminal damage by smashing her mobile phone.

The court heard that Miss Boswell and Smith had begun a relationship in the spring of 2007.

But it soon turned sour, with Smith becoming controlling, jealous and aggressive.

Prosecuting, Rupert Lowe said: "When she said she wanted to get out of it he said he would rather kill her than let anyone else have her."

In September 2008 he kicked her door in and punched her in the face, leaving her with two black eyes, because he thought she was seeing someone else.

She changed her phone number four times and asked him to leave her alone, but he kept harassing and intimidating her, she told the court.

Then, on September 11 last year, Smith broke down the door of her St Paul's flat after her new partner had left for work. Giving evidence yesterday, Miss Boswell said: "He came in and said 'How can you be with another man?' and started punching me. He kicked me in my right leg, then in my stomach, and I crouched over because it had winded me. Then he kicked me in my face."

The court heard that he kicked her so hard that it fractured metal plates in her jaw.

"I turned away and he was hitting me on my head with his metal lighter, and it cut my finger open when I put my hand up to protect my head."

He then smashed her mobile phone when it started ringing, and after asking for a cigarette he then touched it to her leg.

Miss Boswell said: "He told me I was going to die that day."

Mr Lowe said: "Having beaten her up in that way, he asked her if she was pregnant.

"In actual fact he was right, and the child was his, though she denied it when asked because she didn't want him to know she was pregnant with his child."

The court heard that Smith then forced Miss Boswell to go with him to his flat in Lansdowne Court against her will, and only let her go to hospital if she would say how ashamed she was and gave him the keys to her flat.

The trial continues.