advice on ex and access to newborn

[Adds2015]

Hey I'm new on here n currently 27weeks pregnant by my violent ex
I ended the relationship b4 I knew I was pregnant after he beat me 4 over an hr infront of my 2 little kiddies I already have :( he was arrested n found guilty in court n given a 6mth suspended sentence.
However now he has found out im pregnant he said he wants 50% custody of the baby once she is born n if I refuse he said he will take me to court n do everything in his power to get all my kids removed frm me. This bloke is a pathological liar n control freak. The thought of being forced to hand my baby over to this guy terrifies me as he is completely unstable! Does any1 know the likely outcome of a custody hearing if this goes to court he is not allowed in house due to violence my young kiddies witnessed n I don't feel safe around him can a court force me to b around him to enable him access to my baby. I would much appreciate any advice
Cheers

[FishWithABicycle]

Firstly - the courts will never ever order for a breastfed baby to be away from its mother so one very simple thing you can do is resolve to breastfeed for as long as possible.
He has been convicted of a violent offence so you will be likely to have a request for contact to be supervised granted.
be reasonable, cooperative, non-vindictive but fiercely protective of your children'so safety.
The courts will support your children's right to a relationship with their father. That does not mean 50% shared residency - but if you try to block all access he will end up with more than if you agree to modest supervised contact.

[almosthuman]

Agree with Fish. Your ex's conviction and violent behaviour will not be seen in any way positive when looking at whether a court would consider 50-50 residency.

I would speak to a solicitor and also speak to a social worker for further advice.