Disgraced former Newcastle Knight, Zane Tetevano, has been jailed for at least nine months for four separate attacks on his former girlfriend.

Despite his lawyer arguing that Tetevano had transformed his life since leaving the "toxic environment" of the NRL, magistrate Ian Cheetham said the only suitable sentence for Tetevano's offending was jail.

Zane Tetevano arrives at court on Thursday.

Tetevano was sentenced to a total of 18 months' imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine months.

Tetevano previously pleaded guilty to eight charges including two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.