A VIOLENT partner who tried to strangle his blind girlfriend then broke her arm by shoving her into a wall has been jailed for 18 months.

Neighbours could hear Anthony Jordan shout he was “going to kill” Tracy Ashworth during an attack at his Accrington home, Burnley Crown Court was told.

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One resident immediately called the police when he saw Jordan’s hands around his girlfriend’s throat, the court heard.

Jordan, of Knowlmere Street, Accrington, admitted an offence of causing grievous bodily harm and was imprisoned by Recorder Simon Berkson after a brief hearing.

The 41-year-old was also served with a restraining order, preventing him from any contact with his victim, or going near her home in nearby Derby Street, for five years.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said Miss Ashworth, who was aged 46, had suffered from an eye defect since birth and was registered blind. She also has Huntington’s Disease, a nervous system disorder.

She had been in a relationship with the defendant when they went out drinking on June 4 in Accrington, before they returned to his home.

Mr Parker said: “The atmosphere changed for no apparent reason and he began running his mouth, calling her names, calling her a slag.”

Miss Ashworth said she was not going to put up with that kind of behaviour and went to leave.

But the court heard as she left he grabbed her by the throat and started to strangle her. One neighbour heard the defendant threaten to kill her and Miss Ashworth scream.

The pair moved to the back door, where she managed to escape.

But he punched her in the back of the head then shoved her, causing her to collide with a wall in the rear yard.

Mr Parker said it later emerged that this had caused a fracture to one of her upper arms.

In mitigation, Darren Lee-Smith said that his client, who had no recollection of the incident and always accepted the strangulation, punch and push.

But Mr Lee-Smith said that a further allegation, that Jordan had bitten her had always been contested and had not been borne out by later photos, taken of her injuries.