A YOB battered and strangled his ex-partner -  after she had kindly allowed him to stay overnight as he was locked out of his home.

The 20-year-old young mum came round after he had grabbed her around the throat when her concerned dog licked her face but Shane Duckworth then began strangling her again.

A judge pointed out to Duckworth - who admitted having taken a cocktail of cocaine and alcohol - how dangerous strangulation can be for victims.

“It is extremely frightening and distressing because they fear for their lives, rightly so, because you can quite quickly kill someone by strangulation. 

“Much more quickly than I expect you, and most of the population, realise. It is an extremely dangerous thing to do,” said Judge David Swinnerton.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday (November 22) that the victim had agreed the defendant - with whom she had earlier had a three-month relationship - could sleep on the sofa when he rang her explaining he was locked out.

But after he came upstairs and took her e-cigarette she went downstairs to get it back.

24-year-old Duckworth “immediately squared up and she challenged him: "Who the f….are you squaring up to?"

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He punched her and she tried to protect herself but he then punched her four times to the head and grabbed her by the hair, said Derek Jones, prosecuting.

“He pulled her head up and kneed her in the face and threw to the floor. While she was on the floor he kicked her on the legs and then grabbed her around the throat and started to strangle her. She said she blacked out.”

“She was worried for her life and worried she was going to die.

“She came round when her dog started to lick her face and Duckworth attempted to strangle her again. She used all her might to stop it by kicking out at him and managed to bite his hand to stop him strangling her,” said Mr Jones.

He stood up and kicked her to the back and when she tried to shout out of the window for help he grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the sofa and said she was not going to get help.

When he went to the kitchen she went upstairs but he followed and she asked him not to hit her again. Her  six-year-old son, who was upstairs,  asked, ‘mum what’s going on?’ and Duckworth left the house.

She told the police but he was not arrested after that incident on August 3 until he stalked her on September 13 and 14, said Mr Jones.

She received 45 calls from a phone with no caller ID but she recognised Duckworth’s voice on one call and he said he was coming to her St Helens home.

Five minutes later he was outside and was banging on the front door, rattling the door knob and she was terrified and felt vulnerable. She said she was going to call the police and he called her “a snitch” and threatened to assault a man he believed was in the house.

She called the police and could see him making cut throat gestures at her outside the front door. As he left he shouted: "Watch who I send round."

Mr Jones said that the victim suffered bruising and scratches to her face in the earlier incident.

Duckworth, of Lambourne Grove, Parr, pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, assault causing actual bodily harm and stalking involving fear of violence.

The court heard that he has previous convictions including three for harassment, one involving another former partner, and breaching community sentences.

Liverpool Crown Court Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Stock)

Frank Dillon, defending, said that Duckworth’s behaviour had been fuelled by the use of cocaine and alcohol.

 “That is not to say he blames those substances for his behaviour. He acknowledges he is the author of these events by willingly consuming these substances. He is aware they make him aggressive.”

Mr Dillon said they were nasty offences and the defendant was not trying to minimise his behaviour or blame the victim.

Jailing the defendant for two years Judge Swinnerton said Duckworth had been in a brief relationship with the victim but had known her for about ten years.

During the initial incident her young son had been upstairs and while he did not witness the violence he heard something of the incident.

The judge said that he was impressed that Duckworth had insight into his behaviour and recognised his behaviour was “disgraceful.”

However he said that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.