A man who admitting slapping his pregnant girlfriend has been jailed for six months at Magistrates’ Court after breaching his probation.

Damany Burchall, 32, was threatened with a further year’s imprisonment for the assault, depending on the outcome of a psychiatric report.

Burchall, of Mullet Bay Road, St George’s, told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner he would have to fight to defend himself if sent to prison.

But Mr Warner told him: “You refuse to comply with your probation, and now you tell me you’re going to have it rough at Westgate?”

The court heard that a police patrol along Mullet Bay Road on the morning of October 31 was flagged down by a group of people by the junction with Wellington Slip Road.

Officers were informed that Burchall had just slapped Sarah Burgess — who is nine months’ pregnant.

Ms Burgess told the court that Burchall “needs treatment”, and prosecutor Susan Mulligan said a previous assault charge against Burchall by Ms Burgess had been dropped by the Crown at the complainant’s request.

“She wanted to try and work things out with Burchall for the sake of their child,” Ms Mulligan added.

However, she said the Crown intended to proceed with charges for the latest offence.

Burchall denied an October 30 charge of unlawful assault against Ms Burgess, and also pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill her — but admitted slapping her twice in the face, as well as telling her: “Don’t play with me — I’m going to hurt you.”

He told the court Ms Burgess kept throwing him out of her home and then inviting him to move back in — but Mr Warner responded that he behaved like a bully.

The Senior Magistrate also revoked his parole for a January 2012 bladed article offence, in which he had been given a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, with two years’ probation.

Burchall had been required to attend the violent offenders programme, but the court heard he hadn’t complied with the order.

Mr Warner said he was minded to jail Burchall for an extra year for assaulting his girlfriend but would order a psychiatric report first and “keep an open mind” before sentencing him on January 8.