A man broke into his ex-partner’s home and attacked her while under the influence of crack cocaine, to which he had developed an addiction, a court heard.

Durham Crown Court was told Steven Hardy had been in a relationship with the woman for 12 years, but over the past two years there were issues of paranoia and jealousy by him, with angry outbursts fuelled by a crack cocaine addiction.

Paul Newcombe, prosecution, said by the time of the latest incident, in late April, 36-year-old Hardy was on bail for allegedly choking his partner and putting her to the kitchen floor, incidents said to have happened on Mother’s Day, on March 19.

His bail terms were not to approach or contact the complainant, but shortly after midnight on April 27, he smashed his way into her home through the lounge window.

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Mr Newcombe said as she tried to push Hardy away, he grabbed her hair and pulled clumps out, before throwing her to the sofa, where he then put both hands around her throat and said: “I’m going tonight and you’re coming with me.”

Hardy picked up a pen knife which he used to slash at his arms, as his former partner told him to leave, fearing he was heavily under the influence of crack cocaine.

Later, he returned to the property, smashed a window and threatened to hang himself with the dog lead.

Hardy left when the woman told him she would contact the police and later two officers turned up at his address, forced their way in as he appeared to be trying to hang himself with the dog lead.

Mr Newcombe said Hardy lashed out with his feet at the officers, who resorted to disabling him through the use of a taser stun gun and incapacitant spray, before being able to complete his arrest.

The 36-year-old defendant, of Green Crescent, Coxhoe, admitted charges of assault causing actual bodily harm, non-fatal strangulation, criminal damage and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, all relating to events early on April 27.

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Mark Styles, for Hardy, said a psychiatric report prepared for the sentencing hearing was “helpful”, outlining the difficult upbringing of the defendant, which had caused him to “struggle” in his adult life.

But Mr Styles said while Hardy has past convictions, this was, “by far and away”, the most serious level of offending, with a general criminal background featuring mainly motoring offences

“The doctor (who prepared the report) makes the observation that this offending wouldn’t have occurred but for his drug use spiralling out of control, with a dependence on crack cocaine, and behaving in a way that was out of character.

“He’s ashamed at the way he conducted himself and has had the good sense to tender the right guilty pleas.

“The bottom line is that he has got to look at rehabilitation and get himself weaned off drugs.

“He had a relationship of 12 years and hopes to rekindle it.

“It’s very much in his interest that he gets himself clean of drugs and takes advantage of education courses available to him in custody,” added Mr Styles.

Judge James Adkin told Hardy that despite the bail terms forbidding him from contacting his former partner, “such was your state of intoxication that you completely ignored it.”

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The judge said the aggravating features of the case were his forced entry into the woman’s home, in breach of his bail conditions, attacking and trying to strangle her, before his later aggressive behaviour when police turned up at his home attempting to arrest him.

Imposing a 20-month prison sentence, Judge Adkin said the defendant would serve up to half before being released on licence.

But he added that he would recommend the Secretary of State that a condition of his licence should be to forbid Hardy from having any form of contact with the complainant, “by any means whatsoever.”