A MAN was “out of control” when he attacked his long-term partner just weeks after assaulting and strangling her.

Mathew Edwards, 35, of Caer Bryn Road in Penygroes, appeared at Swansea Crown Court charged with two offences of assault by beating, one of strangulation and one of criminal damage.

Prosecutor Alycia Capanini told the court that Edwards and the complainant argued on January 3 after she received a call asking for money.

When she threatened to leave him, the defendant grabbed her by her hair with one hand and by the throat with other.

“The defendant stated ‘I am going to kill you’,” Ms Carpanini said.

“The complainant was scared.”

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On January 31, Edwards and the complainant were arguing again about the future of their relationship.

Edwards left to get a bottle of wine, and the complainant locked him out. When he returned, he threatened that if she didn’t let him in, there would be a “car-shaped hole” in their home.

He was let in and remained in the house for a few hours.

The court heard that he slapped the complainant in the face, before slapping her twice more.

She called the police, but Edwards then came upstairs and grabbed her by the wrists before punching a door – damaging it – while screaming.

Police were later told Edwards was “out of control”.

The defendant was arrested that morning a short distance from the address.

While in custody, Edwards was asked if he needed anything. “He said: ‘To punch my missus in the face’,” Ms Carpanini said.

The defendant told police that the assault was just “a little clip and a slap” and denied strangling the complainant.

He then told officers he was “only trying to scare her to get a reaction” before saying that he’d admit the offences in what the prosecutor described as “in a flippant manner”.

Edwards, who has one previous conviction for two offences, did plead guilty to each of the charges.

Matthew Murphy, defending, said Edwards’ response to the author of a pre-sentence report “clearly convey his remorse” and that he recognised “he has to change his own behaviour”.

He said the defendant was remorseful “for his actions up to this point to allow himself to fall in to the situation where these offences were committed”.

Referring to Edwards’ history of drug use, Mr Murphy said: “Custody has forced the defendant’s hand to do something”

Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Edwards to 14 months for strangulation, two months – running concurrently – for each of the assaults, and one month – also running concurrently – for criminal damage.