'I'm going to kill you - die, die, die,' man told partner in terrifying choke attack

George Dixon had thrown his mobile phone at the woman's head after she asked if he had been unfaithful to her during a conversation at her home in SouthShields.

Newcastle Crown Court heard when the victim tried to call her mother from her own phone, he snatched it from her and threw it at her side.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court as the argument escalated, on December 18 last year, the 36-year-old became more violent to the woman, who he had been seeing for over two years.

Mr Wardlaw told the court: "On three separate occasions he put his hands around her neck and began choking her, saying 'I'm going to kill you - die, die, die'."

The court also heard that Dixon made repeated threats to kill the woman, who was left struggling for breath and in panic, kicked her leg and banged her head against a boiler in the kitchen during the attack.

The "distressed" victim was left with reddening around her neck from being strangled, had a mark on her head from the boiler and reddening to her leg from the kick.

Dixon, of Hepscott Avenue Hartlepool, Teesside, admitted assault.

The court was told he had also been fined for battery on the same woman last July.

Mr Recorder Shakil Najib said Dixon poses a "high risk of further offending and a high risk of serious harm to domestic partners" and sentenced him to 12 months behind bars, with a five year restraining order.

The judge told him: "This was a serious assault involving choking and strangulation.

"You grabbed her by the neck and choked her in her own home, she couldn't breathe."

Jennifer Coxon, defending, told the court that Dixon has mental health problems and has had employment in the past.

Miss Coxon said: "He accepts his behaviour was certainly awful towards his victim.

"There are clearly things that have gone on in his life that led him to behave the way he has."