A brute knelt on his partner's neck and kicked her in the mouth after drinking on Christmas Day.
Steven Ashcroft launched the violent attack during the early hours of Boxing Day after drinking pints and Jagerbombs in the pub. The 45-year-old smashed up the woman's home before throwing objects at her.
When she ended up on the floor, he knelt on the woman's neck twice. She was stuck between the wall and bed and told him she couldn't breath. Ashcroft hit her on the back of the head and kicked her in the mouth.
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The violence, which left the woman with two broken fingers, came to an end when a member of the public contacted police.
Neil Jones, prosecuting, said Ashcroft and the woman, who lived in Washington, had been in a relationship for two years. He said the woman described how he changed when she her daughter started stopping over.
He told the court: "She suspected that he might be jealous of her relationship with her daughter. She suspected he had started to date other women."
Mr Jones said that at around 6.30pm on Christmas Day 2021 the pair were at the pub. Ashcroft was drinking pints and Jagerbombs and asked the woman: "Who are you sh***ing?"
When they were asked to leave the pub at 11pm, the woman went home but Ashcroft did not go inside. He kicked at the woman's front door, asking for his belongings and managed to get inside.
Mr Jones told the court how the woman kept telling him to leave. He said: "There was a bit of pushing and shoving between them. The defendant was in my bedroom with his own. He started to smash things up."
He said the woman went into the bedroom and he threw objects, which include a mirror, at her.
The prosecutor said: "She ended up on the bedroom floor with him kneeling on her neck. He did that twice causing her to say to him 'I can't breathe, what are you doing?' She was stuck between the wall and the bed."
The court heard how she was then hit on the head and kicked in the mouth before running out of the room.
The incident, which occurred in the presence of children, was reported to the police by a member of the public and Ashcroft was arrested.
Mr Jones told the court how the the woman was left with two broken fingers as well as bruising and swelling to the right eye. She also suffered from bruising to her head and her forearms.
She was treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead and had her fingers taped up.
In a victim impact statement, read to the court by Mr Jones, the woman said the incident had had a significant impact on her mental health and left her experiencing physical pain.
She said she was upset about the end of her relationship as they had made plans together. She said: "When Steven isn't under the influence of alcohol I describe him as a family man.
"I believe Steven wanted to stop me breathing - despite me not doing anything to him apart from loving him. I'm shocked that this other side of Steven could be so evil and manipulating."
Ashcroft, of Coach Road Estate, Usworth, Washington, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
Vic Laffey, defending, described the incident as "unacceptable" and said Ashcroft had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. He said: "It's an incident that's out of character. He has one driving offence and one theft.
"He deeply regrets the incident. He was arrested and interviewed and made admissions during the course of the interview straight away. The defendant was under the influence of alcohol. It's quite clear she was as well."
Mr Laffey said the defendant works as a driver and has already significantly reduced his alcohol intake.
He said: "During the course of the last 18 months there's been at least two attempted reconciliations.
He told the court how one of the attempts involved them going on holiday to Turkey together, which was "fairly disastrous". He said they spent a week in separate rooms as it "just didn't work out".
Mr Laffey added: "But they have no contact now. They haven't been in contact for some considerable time. The relationship is over as far as he's concerned."
Recorder Angharad Davies told Ashcroft: "You threw items at the complainant. She ended up on the floor with you kneeling on her neck, despite her saying she could not breath. She was stuck between the wall and bed. You hit her on the back of the head and kicked her in the mouth.
"The complainant told police that she thought you were trying to kill her. She required hospital treatment and her fingers being taped up."
Recorder Davies sentenced him to 16 months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He must abide by a restraining order for five years.
