Man jailed for two-hour attack on partner

39-year-old also banned from contacting victim

Report by BBC Isle of Man:

A man who tried to suffocate his then fiancée during a two-hour attack at her home on the Isle of Man has been jailed for three years.

Michael Ashton, 39, started banging on a neighbour's door with a hammer in early hours of 26 October after a night out drinking.

Douglas Courthouse heard the woman took the hammer and hid it upstairs before Ashton started the prolonged assault which left her with 20 separate injuries.

Jailing him Deemster Graeme Cook said the violence had been 'appalling' and it was a 'horrendous offence'.

The court heard the woman had tried to go to the garage of the property to escape Ashton but he followed her, pushed her against 'something hard' and dragged her up the steps before putting his hands over her mouth and nose.

The court heard police received a call at 3.25am in which a woman could be heard crying 'get off me' and traced it to the victim's home address.

Ashton answered the door when officers arrived and they found the victim in a distressed state in the bedroom.

When interviewed he said he did not remember what had happened but said the woman would be telling the truth

The court was told after officers recounted the events to him he said it was 'horrific' adding: "There is no excuse, I am sorry."

In a victim impact statement read to the court the woman said she was 'embarrassed something like this happened to me'.

She said: "I thought he was going to kill me; I have never been so scared."

Ashton had been released from prison for previous offences three weeks prior to the attack the court heard.

Sentencing him Deemster Cook said: "I can only hope with time the brave victim is able to move on with her life."

Ashton was also given a two-year license extension and was placed under a Domestic Abuse Protection Order indefinitely which bans him from contacting, harassing or inciting violence against the victim.