A young boy cried “Mummy, I’m scared” as they hid from her knife-wielding boyfriend as he chillingly warned: “I’m going to get you!”

The pair cowered in dark alleyways and behind cars after bare-chested Joshua Bruton chased them out into the street from her home in Deal.

The 25-year-old thug from Cliftonville had turned up drunk at about midnight and accused his then partner of cheating, before attacking her and threatening to “knock her out”.

She fled with her young son as Bruton – who once stabbed a teenager – followed her into the road outside, topless and brandishing a knife.

Details of the ordeal on February 20 were recounted by Judge Simon Taylor KC during a sentencing hearing on Thursday.

He told how Bruton had been chided by his partner for arriving at her home so late while her child was sleeping.

“But instead of apologising, you accused her of cheating on you with one of your friends and began pushing, shoving and punching her,” the judge said.

“While in the bedroom, you continued pushing her and told her that you would knock her out and that she wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Canterbury Crown Court heard how the mother, along with her young son, managed to escape the house, but her attacker shortly followed her out into the street.

“A neighbour heard the child crying saying ‘Mummy, I’m scared’,” continued Judge Taylor.

“The neighbour then saw you topless in the street holding a knife saying ‘Where are you? I’m going to get you’.

“During this time, the complainant says she had to run and hide in dark places like alleyways and behind cars because she was scared you would find her.”

“In [police] interview, you denied the offences and continued to blame your victim.”

The court heard that Bruton had carried out the attack while out on licence for stabbing a teenager in 2020 – an offence for which he was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

After serving half of that sentence he was released, but subsequently recalled to prison to serve the remainder.

He attended the sentencing hearing for his most recent crimes via video-link from HMP Isis.

At a previous hearing before Folkestone magistrates on February 21, Bruton had pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in a public place and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mitigating, advocate Kerry Waitt explained on Thursday that his client had underlying mental health issues.

But at the time of the offence, rather than taking his prescription, he was “self-medicating” with cannabis and cocaine.

“Mr Bruton has now been in custody since February, he is complying with his medication, he is not taking illegal substances,” said Mr Waitt.

“And he is motivated to get himself clean and be fit to continue complying with his medication on his release.

“He is resolved not to revert to his old ways.”

Judge Taylor countered that Bruton getting clean during his last spell behind bars had not prevented him from reoffending.

“On the one hand it shows that when he is taking his medication and not taking illicit substances, he finds himself in a better place,” the judge said.

“The trouble is that he found himself in a better place before when he was in custody, but then came out and did the same thing.

“At the time of this offence he was also subject to a bespoke licence condition not to carry offensive weapons.”

Since this incident, my son is crying and confused and he doesn’t want to go to school as he feels he needs to protect me...

In considering what sentence to pass, the judge read from a victim impact statement written by Bruton’s ex-girlfriend on June 7.

“I haven’t slept in four months - every time I start to fall asleep I see his face,” she wrote.

“Since this incident, my son is crying and confused and he doesn’t want to go to school as he feels he needs to protect me.

“I have mum guilt. All I ever do is go on the school-run and come home - I’m too worried to go out.

“He’s made a threat in the past that if he ever went to prison, when he got out he would kill me and my family.”

The court heard how Bruton has 14 previous convictions, including seven for violent offences.

Handing down his punishment, Judge Taylor told him: “You were a care-leaver, you experienced a turbulent childhood, periods of homelessness, you witnessed domestic abuse as a child.

“While you’re in prison, you’re resolved not to revert back to your old ways.

“Now we need to keep that resolve because it’s very important, not only for the benefit of the public, but also for you. You need to maintain that resolve.”

“Your actions with a knife left your victims cowering behind cars and resulted in the psychological damage of a child.

“A child was saying ‘Mummy, I’m scared’, while you were shouting ‘I’m coming to get you’.”

For possession of a bladed article, Bruton received a custodial term of one year and 10 months.

Consecutively, he will serve a six-month jail sentence for the assault charge.

“In light of your previous convictions and your behaviour while on licence, I’m going to extend the licence period by two years and eight months. That is a considerable period extension but it is necessary,” added Judge Taylor.

“You will serve one half of the bladed article sentence first. You will then serve two thirds of the assault sentence before you will be eligible to apply for release.

“Once released, you will be on licence for any period of the custodial term that remains, as well as the additional two years and eight months.”

Bruton is also subject to a 10-year restraining order preventing him from directly or indirectly contacting the victim or her son.