A THUG who terrorised his ex-girlfriend by beating her up and burning her clothes in a two-day spree of violence has been jailed for two and a half years.

Robert Brewerton, of Willow Brook, Abingdon was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court last Thursday after subjecting his ex to a horrifying ordeal around Valentine’s Day this year.

It has also emerged the 39-year-old was a crucial witness in the Kerry Reeves murder trial which saw two drug dealers jailed for life.

He told the trials murderers Billy Johnson and Charles Noble - who supplied him drugs - turned up at his house carrying a mask and wearing gloves on the night Kerry Reeves was gunned down.

And yesterday, Brewerton was himself jailed for his Valentine’s Day violence.

He interrupted his own trial in August to change his plea to guilty after his victim took the stand to give her harrowing account.

She told the jury how Brewerton had shown up at her Abingdon home the day on February 13 and started kicking down the door when she refused to let him in.

When he gained entry he stormed upstairs and dragged her down the staircase by her hair, the court heard.

He stayed at the house for two days, during which time he used her bank card to steal £250 in cash which he used to buy alcohol.

In the early hours of February 15, having drunk half a bottle of vodka, he put a lighter to the woman’s head under her chin before setting fire to her clothing.

He also burnt a number of other items in the house, and beat the woman by punching her during the ordeal.

Brewerton admitted seven counts; two of causing criminal damage, one of fraud, two of inflicting actual bodily harm and two of arson.

Judge Ian Pringle QC said the arson in particular was taken ‘very seriously’ by the court and sentenced him to two and half years in prison.

He dismissed the defence’s claim the crimes should be treated as one incident.

He said: “You have had a chaotic life and at the age of 39 have a serious alcohol and drug addiction.

“I hope the time you spend in custody will help you realise you have to conquer these problems if you are to get your life back on track.”

Defence barrister Dominic Bell said it was a ‘miracle’ Brewerton was still alive given the amount of alcohol and drugs he had consumed in his life.