A DOMESTIC abuser will spend the festive season in jail after throttling his ex-partner in a brutal Christmas Day attack last year.

Jacob Brinton, of Newton Abbot, had split up with his girlfriend but they were sharing the same house because neither could afford to move out.

Tensions erupted into violence after he spent Christmas Day drinking Prosecco and seven cans of lager and returned to the house in Newton Abbot drunk at about 11 pm.

There was a short argument which led to him strangling her until she struggled to breathe while telling her ‘you’re ****ing done’.

She was left with red marks and bruising around her neck.

It was the third time Brinton had attacked her during a ‘toxic’ three year relationship.

He was meant to have been attending a probation-run Building Better Relationships course but had not done so.

Brinton, aged 35, of Moorsend, Newton Abbot, denied assault causing actual bodily harm but was found guilty by Magistrates at Newton Abbot. He was jailed for a year and four months by Judge Timothy Rose at Exeter Crown Court.

He also imposed a five-year restraining order banning any further contact with the victim.

He told Brinton: ‘This was a really serious assault perpetrated by way of strangulation.

‘It is aggravated by your intoxication and the fact this was the third offence of domestic violence against the same victim.

‘You were also subject to a community order in relation to one of the earlier offences.

‘I don’t how many times you expect a court to hear about this type of violence before it takes severe measures.’

Mr Michael Brown, prosecuting, said the victim ended the relationship with Brinton in May but they were still sharing the same house last Christmas.

He left the house but was found by police and claimed that she had assaulted him. He has previous convictions for assaulting her on two different occasions in 2020.

She wrote a victim personal statement saying she is still frightened of seeing Brinton despite starting a new relationship and is now taking medication for anxiety.

Mr Sam Wysocki, defending, said Brinton was so shocked by his behaviour that he has stopped drinking since January.

He is keen to complete the anti-domestic violence course which had been delayed by the Covid pandemic.

He said: ‘This offence happened last Christmas at a time when they had been separated for a few months but were living under the same roof for financial reasons.

‘He acknowledges it was a toxic relationship.

‘On Christmas Day they got into an argument when he had been drinking more than normal and was heavily intoxicated.’