A violent thug who terrorised his ex-partner when he pinned her to her bed before strangling her after creeping into her home while she slept.

Anthony Smith bit her face before releasing his grip on her throat and then demanding a cuddle before falling asleep on her bed enabling his victim to flee her own home.

The 32-year-old then turned up at her home and marched her to a cashpoint demanding that she withdraw cash belonging to him, Teesside Crown Court heard.

A judge heard how Smith had earlier threatened to smash al the windows of the woman’s while she was working in a friend’s café after she ended their on and off three-year relationship.

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Uzma Khan, prosecuting, said the victim finally ended the relationship due the defendant’s ‘volatile behaviour’.

Dealing with the assault, she said: “She was awoken by the noise of the bedroom door being opened and the defendant was there. He has put his hands and knees on the bed and he bitten her above her left eye.

“He has then put his hands around her neck, restricting her breathing but she didn’t lose consciousness.

“When he has stopped, he has become very apologetic and asked her for a cuddle on the bed, due to her fear of him, she complies and waits until he is asleep before getting up and leaving.”

Miss Khan said he then left her home before returning later that day and forcing her go to a cashpoint to withdraw his money.

The court heard how she was unable to withdraw the money as it wasn’t in her account but he returned later and she did transfer his cash from her account to his.

The Northern Echo: Anthony SmithAnthony Smith (Image: Cleveland Police)

Smith, of Carville Court, Stockton, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm from May 5 and harassment of his victim between April 21 and May 10.

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Paul Green, mitigating, said his client was under a lot of pressure at the time but fully accepts what he did was wrong.

Judge Timothy Stead jailed the defendant for a total of 23 months after hearing that he committed his latest offences while serving a suspended sentence.

He added: “You pinned her to the bed and then bit her above the left eye causing a cut and bruising. You then put your hands around her neck and applied pressure but she didn’t lose consciousness.”

Smith was also made subject to a five-year restraining order to protect his victim.