Man throttled woman and said 'Bye, you are going to die'

Mark Simpson, 25, left his partner with bruises to her neck and thigh after grabbing her during the row on May 13.

Violence broke out between the couple shortly after midnight when Simpson’s partner returned to the house after a day out drinking with friends.

She was angry and lashing out, shouting in Simpson’s face and accusing him of cheating on her.

At one stage she picked up a hammer, but put it down again, the court heard.

Simpson responded by grabbing her by the throat and gripping tightly, telling her: “Bye. You’re going to die because I’m going to kill you because you won’t shut your mouth.”

Both the partners were shouting and screaming, but the woman later told police she took Simpson’s words to be a reflection of his temper and did not believe he was going to carry the threat out.

The court heard Simpson, of Topping Street, Blackpool, has previous convictions for violence, but nothing against former partners.

The woman said prior to this incident there had not been any violence in their two-year relationship.

Recorder David Potter, sentencing, said the attack was so serious only a custodial prison sentence was appropriate.

However he suspended the four month sentence for 18 months, ordering the defendant to undertake rehabilitation including anger management, conflict resolution and domestic abuse awareness.