After a night of vodka, Daniel Stokes knocked on the door shouting “let me in you fat sl**” and “I’m going to belt you” in the early hours of the morning.

He then threw the contents of the bin across the garden. The 32-year-old from Walsall then passed out in the garden and when he was woken at 7am by his ex-partner of seven years clearing the rubbish he had been lying in, unleashed a vicious attack that left her fearing for her life them.

He strangled her so hard she nearly passed out and broke blood vessels in her face before throwing her against the radiator, giving her the chance to call the police. He then put her in a headlock and strangled her again, releasing her only after biting her tormentor.

Throughout Stokes, of Abbots Close, Walsall, taunted his victim by telling him to “get ready to take your last breath” and “he’ll strap her even harder when the police arrive”.

After strangling her twice, Stokes punched her twice in the head, slapped her and then kicked her to the ground before rushing out of the house and taking refuge in a neighbour’s house .

Stokes left the address before police arrived. However, he turned himself in as a wanted man and, in his interview with detectives, blamed the incident on the victim.

He was remanded in custody. he first pleaded not guilty to strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at his first court appearance. However, Stokes changed his plea to guilty before his trial began at Wolverhampton Crown Court. His criminal record includes 23 convictions for 19 offences, many for assault and at least two against the same victim, with whom he has five children.

In mitigation, the court heard that Stokes “realised that this was a turning point in his life”, acknowledging the harm he had caused. He also battled mental health challenges and addiction to Class A drugs.

Recorder Simon Hughes jailed Stokes for 24 months. It was a terrifying attack for your victim. She suffered cuts and bruises to her nose, swollen throat, broken blood vessels and injuries to her neck, back and legs.

“This was an attack of extreme violence. There were several instances of strangulation and there were a few opportunities you could have stopped but you kept going.

“I cannot ignore that you appeared to take pleasure in the assault and control you exercised over your victim, therefore I have increased your sentence.”