A terrified woman thought that she was going to die after her aggressive ex-boyfriend strangled her after a "petty" argument about the food that was used for a christening quickly turned nasty.
Liam Laidlaw has been branded a "violent bully" after he "flew at her" and held her by the throat so that she could not breathe during a frightening confrontation, Hull Crown Court heard.
Laidlaw, 24, of east Hull, admitted assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, on June 20 last year, reports Hull Live.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that there was an argument between Laidlaw and his ex-girlfriend over the use of food after a recent christening.
Laidlaw told the woman: "If you want to start being a c***, then I can start being a c*** too" and there was an argument.
He twisted her leg, held her down on a sofa, pinned her legs down and put pressure on her back. He took the door keys and refused to return them. He later "flew at her" and grabbed her neck and bumped her head on the floor.
"She felt in fear of her life," said Mr Welch. The woman had a bad headache and felt dizzy and sick. She had a scratch on her hand and reddening to her face and bruising to her stomach and ear.
She later said that she was relieved that Laidlaw was out of her life and the incident had left its mark on her mentally. "I am scared in case I see him again when I am out," she said. "What he did is always in the back of my mind."
Although she had started to rebuild her life, she could not forget what Laidlaw had done to her. "I will never get over what he did and it's hard to put it behind me," she said.
Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said that Laidlaw had no previous convictions. He invested a substantial amount into the relationship but there were some issues that he simply did not recognise.
"When the relationship came to an end, he dealt with matters not just poorly but appallingly," said Miss Kioko-Gilligan. "He has lost what he described as a good relationship. He is genuinely remorseful.
"He has moved on with his life. He hopes to gain employment but he knows that he must be punished for what he has done. He is immature."
Judge Sophie McKone told Laidlaw: "You behaved like a violent bully to your girlfriend at the time, the mother of your child. You had an argument, which was so petty it beggars belief.
"That argument led to you being offensive to her, calling her a vile name and twisting her leg, causing considerable pain. You grabbed her by the back of the neck and forced her head into the sofa so she could not move, pinning her legs down.
"That must have been incredibly frightening for her. You began to complain that she did not give you enough affection.
"You held her by the throat for about five seconds so she could not breathe. Understandably, she thought she was going to die. She must been absolutely terrified."
Judge McKone said of the woman: "She doesn't want to leave the house. She has flashbacks and nightmares. She feels scared. That's the effect that you have had on her because of your violent behaviour.
"It was a sustained attack on a vulnerable woman in her own home."
Laidlaw was jailed for 18 months and was given a five-year restraining order.
