A THUG who strangled his girlfriend until she lost consciousness and had a seizure has been jailed.

Liam Brandon, 21, from Pontypool, also spat at her and left his then partner with a black eye after repeatedly slapping her at his flat.

He had accused the woman of being unfaithful to him, Rachel Knight, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court.

Brandon had denied attacking his victim but was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on May 4 following a trial at the magistrates’ court.

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The offence put the defendant, of Lasgarn Place, Abersychan, in breach of a community order imposed for a battery conviction against the same woman.

Brandon’s barrister Thomas Stanway said his client worked at a plastics factory and was “well-thought of there”.

His lawyer added: “There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

“The relationship has plainly come to an end.”

The defendant would lose his job and his home if he was jailed, Mr Stanway said.

Judge Shomon Khan told Brandon: “This was a deeply unpleasant incident.

“It’s strangulation that makes it a particularly serious case.

“Your victim lost consciousness and had a seizure.

“There were a number of slaps and you spat at her.

“You were jealous for whatever reason.”

The judge added: “You committed this offence while you were subject to a community order for pretty much the same sort of thing.

“This makes it much more serious and it happened in a domestic context.

“In my view this is an offence where only immediate imprisonment can be justified.

“The whole point of the community order was to stop you from doing this again but you did it again."

Brandon was jailed for 12 months and told he would serve half of that sentence before being released.

He was made the subject of four-year restraining order not to contact his victim and will have to pay a statutory surcharge.