A man who fractured the cheekbone of his current partner threatened her sister with a machete, a court has heard.

Joshua Terry, 26, has previous convictions for domestic violence but got into a relationship with the victim, who is still his current partner, at the end of last year.

Norwich Crown Court heard neither the victim’s father nor her sister, who is a prison officer, were supportive of the relationship.

Danielle O’Donovan, prosecuting, said the victim’s sister had contacted her to say she was “worried” and “scared for her welfare”.

In response Terry issued messages to her family stating he was “no woman beater” and demanded the father “apologises to your daughter or I will settle it”.

On January 21 there was further communication between the victim and her sister following Facebook messages that were published about the defendant.

The victim asked her sister to take down the posts and was later phoned by Terry who warned he would “come to your door and settle this face to face”.

Ms O’Donovan said the victim’s sister was visited by the defendant who arrived at her Thetford home with two other men and her sister in the car.

The victim’s sister had her 16-year-old daughter at home and did not want the defendant coming to the door.

She saw her sister in the car who appeared to be in fear and attempted to take her from the car.

Terry warned the victim to choose her side and warned her to “pick carefully” before he later pulled out a machete from the car, prompting police to be called.

On February 28 the court heard the victim suffered a fractured cheekbone after being assaulted by the defendant.

Police attended and although the victim “nodded” when asked if Terry was responsible for the injury, did not support the prosecution.

Terry, formerly of Essex but now of HMP Bedford, appeared at court on Monday to be sentenced after admitting possession of a bladed article and ABH.

He was also to be sentenced having previously admitted offences of assault, disclose private photographs and intimidate a witness in respect of a previous partner.

Terry, who has more than 30 previous convictions for 62 offences, was jailed for a total of 28 months by Judge Anthony Bate.

He was also made the subject of indefinite restraining orders against the first victim and his current partner’s sister.

Gavin Cowe, mitigating, said Terry should be given appropriate credit for his guilty pleas, adding he had developed an insight into his offending while in prison.