AN Amman Valley man strangled his partner after she told him not to hit the washing line because he was “in a bad mood”.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Louis Aris, of Stepney Road in Ammanford, had been in a relationship with the victim for around a year.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue said the victim was at home in Fishguard with her son and the defendant on July 27.

“The defendant was in a bad mood,” Ms Donohue said, adding that the victim felt she was “walking on eggshells” around him.

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The court heard that Aris went out in to the garden and hit the washing line. When his partner - who was getting ready to go out in front of a mirror - told him not to do that, Aris ripped one of the doors off the side of the mirror.

Aris’ partner began to record him, at which point he grabbed her by the throat. There was a struggle, during which time the defendant pushed his partner.

The victim was concerned her son was in the house with the defendant acting this aggressively, so texted a friend asking them to pick him up.

Ms Donohue said that at one stage, Aris grabbed a knife and threatened to harm himself if she called the police.

His partner attempted to escape through the back garden, but the defendant blocked her off. She eventually managed to call the police.

The victim described herself in a text to a friend as “fearful of the defendant”, Ms Donohue said.

Aris was arrested in the back garden of a kebab shop in the Fishguard area.

Upon his arrest, Aris told officers ‘It’s all lies’, and in interview he told police the red marks on the victim’s neck were caused by “a push”.

The court heard 29-year-old Aris had nine previous convictions for 20 offences, including offences for common assault inside a home in 2015, battery against a woman in 2018, and battery against a staff member at a bar in 2019.

He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and battery at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, and an offence of strangulation at a plea hearing at Swansea Crown Court.

“The defendant is realistic about his position,” said David Singh, in mitigation.

“It’s conceded these are serious offences.”

Mr Singh highlighted the defendant’s early guilty pleas, which he said were “of particular importance in cases of this nature”.

Judge Catherine Richards said she was concerned that Aris was assessed as being at high risk of reoffending, particularly against the victim.

“Only immediate custody is the appropriate means of punishment,” she said.

Aris was jailed for a total of 15 months, and was made the subject of a two-year restraining order.