A VIOLENT boyfriend who ripped the clothes off his partner before strangling and biting her in a “terrifying” alcohol-fuelled rage is behind bars.

Christopher Paders, 31, from Newport, also punched his victim and threatened to throw a pet lizard at her, after accusing her of cheating on him.

The defendant also picked up a mirror and hurled it at his girlfriend, which cut her, as he trashed her home in a frenzy.

But Cardiff Crown Court heard she wants to rekindle a "relationship or friendship" with him and she was present and visibly upset when he was jailed.

She had asked prosecutor Christopher Evans not to apply for a restraining order as was originally requested, after she visited him in prison.

The judge halted the proceedings so that the barrister could take instructions from her when Paders’ lawyer told of the victim’s desire to reconcile with him.

When the complainant told Mr Evans she didn’t want a restraining order, he was left with no choice but to withdraw the initial request.

Paders, of Otter Close, Bettws, Newport, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage on May 23.

Mr Evans said the defendant had got hold of his victim’s pet lizard and threatened: “Come and get it, or I’ll throw it at you!”

The court was told that Paders had 10 previous convictions for 18 offences.

These included the harassment of a previous girlfriend, the breach of a restraining order and criminal damage against his own mother.

Julia Cox, mitigating, said her client suffered from Asperger’s syndrome and the offences were committed after he stopped taking his medication.

She told the court: “He is addressing the demons he regularly faces. He is seeking out the appropriate anger management courses.”

Miss Cox added that he had been badly affected by his father’s death who he was “extremely close to”.

“He was visited by his partner since he has been in custody and he is under the impression that she may want a relationship or friendship with him,” she said.

The Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Eleri Rees, told Paders: “You pushed your victim on a bed. You strangled her and bit her. She suffered the humiliation of having her clothes ripped off.

“You smashed up the property and threw a mirror at her. This was a terrifying incident.”

She said he had become aggressive after he stopped taking his medication and started drinking and that the offence was "committed under the influence of alcohol".

The defendant was jailed for 20 months and told he must pay a victim surcharge upon his release from custody.