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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Antony Thrower

Husband strangled wife after she found 'dirty' texts to other women when he passed out

A woman who confronted her cheating husband after finding explicit text messages on his phone feared for her life when attacked her.

Serial cheat Jonathan Neale, 40, fell asleep by his front door after a day of drinking and watching rugby.

Wife Claire managed to put him to bed but when she looked at his phone she found dozens of messages to other women, Newport Magistrates’ Court heard.

Neale had several previous affairs and after checking his phone his suspicious wife told him: "We are done".

Proceedings heard Neale then attacked his wife, strangling her with his hands around her neck forcing Claire to "fear for her life."

Serial cheat Neale attacked his wife when she confronted him over text messages (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

She only managed to escape when she bit his hand, forcing him to let go.

She said: “I got his wet clothes off him, put him to bed and had a look through his phone where I discovered he hasn’t stopped messaging women dirty texts, videos telling women he loves them and if he wasn’t in a relationship with me he’d be with her."

Prosecutor Anna Parry said Neale had downed Coors Light beer and Jack Daniel's whiskey throughout the day while watching the Wales v Ireland Six Nations ahead of the attack.

Claire shows the injuries she sustained at the hands of her husband (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Claire managed to escape her husband by biting his hand (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

She said: "The defendant had been watching the rugby with his friends.

"He asked the victim to pick him up and she went to collect him.

"The defendant was found quite intoxicated and he had fallen asleep at a bus station.

"When they were home, the complainant helped undress him and put him to bed and he went to sleep.

Claire checked his phone as a result of previous affairs (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Claire told Neale they were "done" before the attack (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

"The victim checked his mobile phone as a result of previous affairs on his part.

“He put his two hands to her throat area and this made her feel petrified.

“She didn’t think he was going to let go but the complainant managed to bite his finger and he loosened his grip.

“The defendant fled the house and was later arrested by the police."

Neale is said to be "not proud of himself" (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

Neale, of Bettws, Newport, pleaded guilty to intentionally strangling his wife.

Lynda Rhead, defending, said: "He’s not proud of himself.

"The defendant has shown his remorse from the outset. It was clearly a horrible incident that the victim should not have gone through.

"This is somebody who is holding his head in shame."

Neale was handed a 12 month suspended sentence and given a two-year restraining order not to contact his wife.

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