A BEREAVED man who went on a drink and drugs binge before assaulting his girlfriend and threatening a woman while holding a knife has been sent to prison.

Recorder Donald Tait described the affray carried out by 21-year-old Daniel Sharpe as one of the worst he had ever seen and admitted the sentence would have been longer but for his “hands being tied”.

Sharpe was jailed for three-and-a-half years and given indefinite restraining orders against both victims following the March 25 incident in March 25.

Southampton Crown Court heard that Hedge End resident Sharpe argued with his girlfriend Alice Southern at her West End home after she told him to leave.

He accused her of cheating on him before stealing her phone and holding her down on the bed so hard she couldn’t breathe, the court was told.

Sharpe then drove off in Miss Southern’s car and threatened a dog walker in a park near Midlands Estate.

He arrived back at Miss Southern’s home shortly after the incident in the park suffering from shortness of breath, and police were able to identify him as the masked man after the victim gave an accurate description.

Sharpe pleaded guilty to assault, theft, taking a vehicle without consent, affray, and possession of a bladed article.

The court heard that he had previous convictions for crimes including robbery, using threatening behaviour, and drink driving.

Recorder Tait said: “In your past you have amassed an appalling list of previous court appearances.

“The pre-sentence report talks about your aggressive and controlling risk-taking behaviour and says you are a high risk of causing serious harm to the public by physical violence.

“I consider it to be one of the most serious affray cases I have ever seen.”

Audrey Archer, defending Sharpe, said the incident happened the day after he was given his mother’s ashes and that he still cannot understand his own actions.

She told the court: “The defendant at an early stage accepted responsibility for what happened in the park that day and is deeply sorry for what he did, as he has detailed in a letter to her.

“This matter comes to his mind every day and he can’t quite comprehend what he did that day. He is very sorry to her for that.

“The day before he committed these offences he had been dealing with his mother’s ashes and said it was playing on his mind.

“He went on an alcohol binge and also used drugs as a method of coping with the situation he was in at the time.”