A THUG jailed for beating up, strangling and humiliating his ex during a degrading attack in Worcester is expecting a baby with his new partner.

Tim Bird was jailed for three years for the assaults, punching his ex, spitting in her face, pouring water over her, hitting her with flowers, banging her head off a sofa and ripping off her underwear. The attacks happened when Bird of Ransome Avenue, Worcester, returned home drunk in the early hours of the morning on January 11 and February 2 last year. At one stage he told her he was going to 'slit her throat'. In a victim personal statement his ex, who feared she was going to die, said: "Tim made my life hell. I wish I never met him."

The 27-year-old, the first man in the city to be convicted of 'revenge porn' in 2015 after disclosing a private sexual photograph, did not attend a hearing at Worcester Crown Court earlier this month, which also happened to be his birthday, claiming he was self-isolating with Covid-19. The convicted cannabis grower, who also assaulted a police officer in the past, may have spent his birthday at home but will be behind bars this Christmas and New Year.

It was also revealed by his barrister, David Lee, that Bird's current partner is pregnant with his child. Mr Lee said: "He said to me 'I have had experiences when I have got out of control with drink but I do not drink excessively now'."

Mr Lee said Bird, who lived alone, had a job earning £1,500 per month and helped his grandmother. Despite what he called 'a brush with Covid', Bird tested negative. "He's brought his bag. He knows how close he's coming to having to serve a person sentence" said the advocate who argued his client had 'settled down' and was now in a 'positive relationship'. Mr Lee said 'no bad injury was found' on the victim and the day after a sling and back-slab was put on at Worcestershire Royal Hospital it was taken off. He asked Bird, who pleaded guilty on the day of trial, be given 'some credit' as the victim had not had to come to court and give evidence.