An angry man held a knife at his ex-partner's chest and threatened to kill her during a violent attack on her birthday, a court heard.
The mother-of-three's frightened children heard and saw part of the incident, as she was punched in the face, dragged by her hair and badly bitten on the lip.
The two eldest children, aged 13 and seven, fled the house with their mother when she eventually escaped to a neighbour's home, seeking help.
She suffered a swollen face and needed three stitches to her bitten lip, which left a scar as a "constant reminder".
Shane Upton (35) was jailed for 16 months on Friday.
He admitted causing actual bodily harm on September 11 last year.
Leicester Crown Court was told Upton and the victim's five-year relationship ended in 2010. They had a two-year-old child together.
Upton visited his ex-partner's home off Welford Road, Leicester, to give her a birthday card and present. He was said to have taken umbrage because the victim's 13-year-old daughter was allowed to watch Chicken Run on television, instead of something he wanted to see.
He went off in a huff, but then rang his ex-partner and threatened to return to "sort it out" at 6.30pm. He arrived at 7.40pm and began shouting at the 13-year-old.
When his 33-year-old ex-partner told him to leave the house, he assaulted her.
Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said: "He pushed her against a wall. She managed to get free and went into the kitchen. He pushed her over the sink and picked up a kitchen knife and held it towards her chest.
"He said, I'm going to kill you.
"He didn't touch her with the knife but she feared she would be killed. When she said, 'if you're going to kill me, then kill me,' he slammed the knife down and threw her across the kitchen before biting the left side of her top lip.
"She hit him with a bin lid and he hit her in the face, and when she tried to escape he grabbed her by her hair, pulling her back into the house. He punched her in the mouth."
The woman escaped, followed by the two older children.
Before leaving the scene, Upton handed his two-year-old into the care of a neighbour.
The next morning, he called his ex-girlfriend and said: "You're getting it now. Social Services are coming for you."
He was arrested soon afterwards but could not remember much in interview about his actions, although he remembered she hit him.
Upton, of Saffron Lane, Leicester, also admitted witness intimidation, in the phone call the next day.
Jonathan Longman, mitigating, said Upton was seeking to get help to control his temper.
He said: "The children saw some of that incident, which he regrets."
Recorder Sue Carr QC said: "It's difficult to estimate the impact on those children.This was violence on a mother in front of her children, in her own home."
A restraining order was made, banning Upton from contacting the victim or her family, apart from through solicitor's in relation to their child.
