A ‘BULLY’ attacked an ex-partner just three weeks after he was given a chance to turn his life around.

Liam Pritchard threw a bag at his former girlfriend while she was out shopping in Westquay after he called her more than 100 times in a day.

That breached a suspended sentence the 21-year-old was given for kicking out and stealing a phone from another victim during a robbery in Winchester.

Southampton Crown Court heard that Pritchard was trying to contact his victim but couldn’t get through to her. When he saw her, the former Southampton City College student threw a bag at her.

Prosecutor Dawn Hyland told the court that children were left “frightened” after watching Pritchard shout and abuse his victim while in the Southampton shopping centre on November 1.

Three weeks before this incident, Pritchard and a co-defendant stole a mobile phone from a member of the public, demanding the phone off him.

Ms Hyland added: “Pritchard kicked out and into the victim’s thigh before he managed to get hold of the phone.”

Mitigating, Ayelen Tunon said Pritchard suffers from a number of conditions which make social interactions difficult.

She added if Pritchard was sent to jail, the prisons would be “ill equipped” to help him.

In sentencing Pritchard, Record Patrick Clarkson QC said Pritchard was given a chance to stop offending as robbery charges normally result in a term of imprisonment.

He added that Pritchard had acted as a bully in the way he treated the two victims.

Pritchard, of Fox Lane, Winchester, pleaded guilty to assault, failing to attend a court hearing and breaching a suspended sentence.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. A restraining order was made to protect the victim.