A VIOLENT Larkfield man previously jailed for two street assaults is back behind bars for punching his screaming partner on the head in full view of police.

Kyle Watson, 24 — who had earlier stolen an iPhone — also seized the terrified woman and shook her during the early hours incident on Greenock's Nicolson Street.

Prosecutor David Glancy told the town's sheriff court how police were flagged down by a concerned member of the public who directed them to the attack as it took place.

Fiscal depute Mr Glancy said: "When the officers got to the end of Nicolson Street they saw a male holding on to, and swinging a female about.

"He was shaking her and threw one punch to her head.

"The female was screaming.

"As the officers got closer the female ran towards the police car, holding her right eye and pointing to the accused, stating, 'Over there'."

Mr Glancy added: "She gave no formal statement but it didn't matter due to what the officers had seen for themselves.

"The accused had a white iPhone which he said belonged to him.

"The phone was seized and it turned out that it was lost on July 31 in the town centre and reported as missing to phone company EE."

Watson was jailed last year after for a tirade of homophobic abuse against his sister her girlfriend and was previously jailed for battering and headbutting two men in during unprovoked assaults.

The dad-of-one was on bail regarding an allegation of a domestic offence when he assaulted his girlfriend shortly after 4am on August 2.

Defence lawyer Derek Buchanan said: "They had an argument in the street which escalated and the complainer was vocal towards Mr Watson. He tells me the complainer lunged towards him and he seized her."

Of the iPhone matter, Mr Buchanan said: "He simply found the item in the town centre and thought it was a stroke of good fortune and he was intending to hold on to it."

Sheriff Derek Hamilton, noting Watson's previous convictions for weapons and violence, told him: "There is only one disposal that is appropriate here and that is prison."

Watson, of Oxford Road in Larkfield, was sentenced to 11 months backdated to August 3 when he was first remanded in custody on the matters.