Man strangled woman after puncturing her lung

A man who strangled his partner as she lay in agony with broken ribs and a punctured lung has been jailed for three years and five months.

Gordon Nicholson, 38, kicked the woman in the back and carried on attacking her in the street despite her crying out in pain, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The woman spent more than a week in hospital and feared the damage would "never go away", the court heard.

Nicholson, from Newton Aycliffe, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and intentional strangulation.

The couple were at a friend's home on 23 March and the woman had bought them all food and drink, prosecutor Katie Spence said.

After she ran out of cash, Nicholson pulled her hair and told her to get more money before pushing her out of the house at about 02:00 GMT, the court heard.

As she walked away, she felt a big blow to her back which knocked her to the floor, the court heard.

The woman instantly realised she was seriously injured and told Nicholson she was in "agony" and "really hurt", Spence said.

Nicholson demanded her bank card, searched through her bag then crouched on top of her and started to strangle her, the court heard.

When someone else arrived, he asked them for a knife as he wanted to "stab her up", the court was told.

Police quickly arrived after an anonymous phone call was made, with the woman taken to hospital, the court heard.

She was found to have suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung for which she had to stay in intensive care for nine days before being moved to a rehabilitation hospital, Spence said.

The woman said she had long-lasting nerve damage and feared it would "never go away", the court heard.

Judge Deborah Sherwin said Nicholson had an "appalling" criminal record including for offences of violence.

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