Violent David Lynch was jailed for 28 months after hitting his partner in the face with a telephone in front of horrified city centre shoppers.
Lynch punched his girlfriend Louise Savory in the face several times before he smashed her with a handset while in a telephone box on May 17 this year and hit her dog.
One witness to the Gloucester attack, which took place on a busy Saturday morning, said he had to shield his children's eyes as the violence unfolded.
But just two days later, the 27-year-old attacked her again at their Oxford Street home, pushing her to the ground, slapping her across the face and then kicking her causing her to fall down the stairs.
Gloucester Crown Court heard Miss Savory had continued to write to Lynch while he has been remanded in prison, the pair are now engaged and she is believed to be pregnant.
Lynch pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing her actual bodily harm and admitted a further count of shoplifting on May 22 when he stole £85 worth of perfume from Debenhams in the city.
Prosecutor Christopher Smythe told the court: "She started a relationship with a defendant in November 2013. They lived together and in the first couple of months things were fine, but they both have a drink problem.
"There were various problems and between January and May she tried to leave, but each time she went back because she hoped he had changed and liked being with him."
He said it was 9.45am and Gloucester city centre was full of shoppers when the pair had a row.
"He threw a series of punches to the face before she was struck over the head with a telephone receiver when they ended up in a telephone box," the prosecutor said.
"John Lucas was with his children, he shielded their eyes to prevent them seeing.
"He said they went into the phone box and he punched her five times, hitting her as hard as a grown man could. He then picked up the handset and smashed it twice into her face.
"Their dog was jumping and growling and at one point he hit the dog.
"Police arrived and the defendant was heard to say 'tell them I didn't hit you'."
Mr Smythe said she did not make a statement, but two days later, when she tried to leave for a couple of days, Lynch launched a second assault.
He told police that some travellers had paid him £30 to steal the goods from Debenhams and he would have spent the money on drink and drugs.
The court heard Lynch had breached two suspended sentences for an attempted robbery and another assault on a man when he committed the crime spree.
Mr Smythe added that he would not be seeking the usual restraining order in cases of this type as Miss Savory had continued writing to him in prison.
Judge William Hart said: "You sometimes can't save people from themselves."
Defence solicitor Sabhia Pathan said the attack was carried out when clearly they were under the influence of drugs and alcohol and both of them were clearly consuming too much alcohol.
She said: "He describes himself as someone that has struggled with alcohol since the age of 15 and it was exacerbated in 2011 following the break of up with a previous long term partner.
"He has a list of 20 letters and cards sent to him within the last few weeks and in them it refers to her being pregnant.
"To use a phrase she is 'messing with his mind'. They are now engaged and continue to be in a relationship."
The judge jailed Lynch for 28 months and did not ask for a restraining order saying he hoped "the dust would have settled" once he had served his time.
