A former Royal Marine who subjected his "on-off" girlfriend and her father to a terrifying knife attack has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Ex-corporal Ronald Lambert, 36, of Queen's Road, Hastings, went on the rampage at Anita Astell's home in April.

The former commando went to the house in Quarry Road, Hastings, after he was attacked in the street, Lewes Crown Court heard.

Lambert, who saw service in Iraq, El Salvador and Northern Ireland, arrived on the doorstep and began ringing the doorbell.

Marcus Fletcher, prosecuting, said: "Miss Astell remembers being with her 13-year-old son in a bedroom and she heard what she called an 'almighty bang'. It was the defendant breaking down the door."

Mr Fletcher said Lambert hit Miss Astell's 67-year-old father on the head with a pot plant, grabbed her by the hair, punched both of them in the face and grabbed a knife.

Mr Fletcher said: "The defendant was lifting the knife above his head which he was trying to bring down on Miss Astell.

"On four or five occasions Mr Astell managed to prevent the defendant stabbing her and he suffered injuries to his hand."

The court heard Miss Astell managed to run out of the house and was chased by Lambert.

The court heard that a week before the attack Lambert had seen Miss Astell in Yates' Wine Lodge in Hastings and said he would kill her if she had a new boyfriend. He spat in her face before being thrown out by bouncers.

Lambert admitted burglary with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Miss Astell, making threats to kill her and causing actual bodily harm to her 67-year-old father Gordon.

The court heard the defendant had been jailed for another attack on Miss Astell in 1999 when she was manager of The Imperial pub in Queen Street, Hastings.

Lambert was also jailed in 1995 for causing grievous bodily harm after stamping on a former lover's head during an argument.

Guy Russell, defending, said: "The quote 'True love never did run smooth' could have been invented for this defendant.

"Anita Astell kept coming back to him. It was a tempestuous relationship but one that was full of passion and on many occasions full of love.

"He is deeply ashamed and full of remorse and he accepts that he must have presented a terrifying spectacle."

Jailing him, Judge Charles Kemp said: "Frankly at your age you should know better, and you cannot go around treating women and elderly people in this violent and aggressive way."