Sunderland dad tried to strangle partner in South Shields after relationship soured over his holiday fling

Violent Liam Dugdale, 28, used a weapon to attack his victim in her South Shields home.

It was the second time Dugdale, of East Vines Place, Hendon, had assaulted her – and a judge said he had failed to learn his lesson.

Jailing him for 24 weeks, District Judge Zoe Passfield described the assault on Wednesday, May 25, as “prolonged”.

Dugdale also smashed up his now ex-partner’s property during the same incident, prosecutor Paul Anderson told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

He said: “We’re dealing with a catalogue of events. The defendant attended her address and pushed his way in, smashing glass in the front door.

“He assaulted her by grabbing her wrist and strangling her when he grabbed her around the throat.

“She had the presence of mind to record what was going on and his behaviour was quite awful.”

The court heard Dugdale also harassed the woman between Thursday, May 5, and Monday, June 6, by attending her home and phoning her.

And the roads worker harassed her between June 6 and Thursday, June 16, in a separate spate of contact.

At an earlier hearing, he pleaded guilty to assault, causing criminal damage, causing harassment alarm or distress and breaching a non-molestation order

Michael Robinson, defending, said the breakdown of the couple’s relationship was linked to Dugdale cheating while they holidayed in Florida.

He added: “He had a fling with another female. That then caused the situation between them.

“The defendant can’t avoid the fact he has a previous conviction for common assault against the complainant.”

Judge Passfield, who said an unspecified weapon was used in the strangulation, jailed Dugdale for 16 weeks for assault.

Dugdale, who appeared in court via video link from HMP Durham where he was on remand, was jailed for eight weeks for harassment, to run consecutively.

He was also given concurrent sentences of eight weeks for breaching the non-molestation order and 14 days for criminal damage.

And Dugdale was handed a two-year restraining order to prevent him contacting his ex-girlfriend or going to any address he knows her to reside.

He must pay his victim compensation of £200 for the assault and £500 for damage.