Telford man who strangled his partner in drunken attack is jailed

Garth Thomas, 39, of Oakengates Road, had been in a relationship with the woman for four months when their "relationship changed", Shrewsbury Crown Court sitting at Telford Justice Centre heard on Monday.

Mr John Oates, prosecuting, told the court that in May, Thomas' ex-partner had returned home following an argument to find her "TV smashed".

He then said on June 11 the couple were invited to drinks at a neighbour's house, but the defendant became "drunk" and "threatening", with Mr Oates explaining that later that night Thomas then attacked his former partner.

"They left and went to the complainant's home but she was afraid, so she asked her friend to stay. The two slept on the sofa," he told the court, adding that at around 4.45am, the pair heard a noise upstairs.

"There were doors slamming. He [Thomas] then came downstairs and abused her, shouted and eventually took by the throat and threw her into a door frame, threw her into the bedroom, grabbed her by the hair and pinned her down," Mr Oates said.

Following the attack police were called and Thomas fled, but the defendant was later found hiding in a garden and came out after police threatened to taser him.

Thomas, who had admitted charges of strangulation, actual bodily harm and criminal damage when he appeared in court, had 53 previous convictions for violence, including "serious violence", Mr Oates told Judge Mr Peter Barrie.

In jailing Thomas, Judge Barrie said: "You have a considerable record for behaving violently towards people. The courts treat you particularly seriously when you are violent towards somebody you are in a relationship with."

He added that most serious of the offences he pleaded guilty to was the offence of strangulation, for which he handed Thomas a ten-month jail term, with two four-month sentences for the other charges to run concurrent to it.

He also placed a five-year restraining order on Thomas banning him from going near his former partner.