A DOMESTIC abuser who punched his girlfriend whilst she was on a video call to her sister was back before the court accused of breaching his suspended sentence.

Zachariah Roberts-Thomas, 23, of Marble Hall Road in Milford Haven, was sentenced to 12 weeks, suspended for 18 months, in February for the attack in late December.

As part of this, he was also ordered to complete the Building Better Relationships programme, 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

However, Roberts-Thomas came back before Swansea Crown Court accused of breaching his suspended sentence by failing to attend appointments on May 19 and July 7.

He admitted missing those appointments.

The court was told that the defendant was still on a waiting list for the Building Better Relationships programme.

“You could go to prison for being in breach,” Judge Huw Rees told him.

“It’s no joke. If you fail to get back on this order, you could go to prison.”

Judge Rees adjourned the case until September 20, and ordered Roberts-Thomas to complete 30 hours of unpaid work and four rehabilitation activity requirement days before that date.

He told the defendant that he would not be sent to prison if he completes this.

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The court previously heard that Roberts-Thomas had attacked his partner of several years on December 29.

The victim video called her sister crying at around 7pm that evening.

“The defendant could be heard screaming in the background and then approached [the victim] and punched her in the rib saying she was a b****, a s*** and a w****,” prosecutor Brian Simpson had told the court.

The police were called, but Roberts-Thomas had left the address when they arrived, and the victim denied anything had happened.

The victim’s sister later received further messages where the defendant could be heard shouting in the background.

The police were called again, and they arrived to find the defendant “heavily intoxicated” outside, shouting that he “just wanted [her] back”.

“He would be the first to acknowledge he has a lot of growing up to do,” defence counsel Dan Griffiths said.

As he handed Roberts-Thomas a suspended sentence, Recorder Simon Hughes said: “It’s clear to me you require some assistance. Were you sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence today, you would be released without access to that assistance.”