A READING man with a history of violence has been locked up after throwing a cannabis grinder at a woman in front of her 10-year-old brother.

Pierce Darlow, 32, of Romany Lane, Tilehurst, admitted to the Halloween 2021 offence after footage from his own bedroom CCTV camera was seen by police.

It showed Darlow and the woman having an argument in bed, just after midnight on October 31, 2021.

READ MORE: Man taken to hospital with serious injuries after fight outside pub

The woman got out of the bed and Darlow threw a cannabis grinder at her, hitting her in the face.

The shocking scene played out in front of the woman’s brother, who was laying on the floor next to the pair.

She was taken to hospital where she required four stitches, prosecutor Kieran Brown said.

The barrister said Darlow has 22 convictions for 34 offences, including two battery offences, and that he was serving a community order for two drug-driving incidents at the time of the Halloween altercation.

In 2016, Darlow was spared jail after he chased a woman down the street with a baseball bat before dragging her along the ground.

READ MORE: Police cordon in place after forensics spotted in Reading

On another occasion, he left a woman with a nose bleed after punching her in the face.

In January 2017, the 32-year-old was locked up after slashing the tyres of a 20-year-old woman.

Sophie Chaplin, defending, said her client felt ‘disgusted, upset and ashamed at what he had done’.

His Honour Judge Burgess QC said he recognised this as he could see Darlow holding his head in his hands as the CCTV footage was played in court.

Sentencing, he said: “You have a problem with your attitude towards women.

“The CCTV speaks for itself.”

READ MORE: Record number of postponed trails at Reading court

The judge said Darlow was a risk to women and that he had no realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Darlow was sentenced to 12 months in prison for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of drug-driving.

He appeared via video link from prison at Reading Crown Court on Monday, April 11.