A MAN from Ammanford has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after strangling his partner during a heated altercation, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Louis Aris, 29, of Stepney Road, Ammanford, assaulted his partner at her home in Fishguard on July 27 after she told him not to strike the washing line, as he was “in a bad mood.” Prosecutor Georgia Donohue told the court that the victim had been in a relationship with Aris for about a year and had been feeling as if she was “walking on eggshells” around him due to his aggressive behaviour that day.

The court heard that Aris went into the garden and hit the washing line. When his partner, who was preparing to go out, asked him not to do so, he ripped one of the doors off a mirror in a fit of rage. The victim began recording the incident on her phone, at which point Aris grabbed her by the throat, leading to a physical struggle during which he also pushed her.

As we previously reported, fearing for her safety and the safety of her young son, who was in the house, the victim texted a friend asking them to come and collect her child. During the confrontation, Aris reportedly grabbed a knife and threatened to harm himself if the police were called. The victim tried to flee through the back garden, but Aris blocked her path. She eventually managed to call the authorities.

Aris was arrested shortly afterwards in the back garden of a kebab shop in the Fishguard area. Upon his arrest, he claimed, “It’s all lies,” and later told officers that the red marks on his partner’s neck were caused by “a push.”

Ms Donohue told the court that Aris had a history of violent offences, including nine previous convictions for 20 offences, such as common assault in 2015, battery against a woman in 2018, and battery against a bar staff member in 2019.

David Singh, defending, acknowledged the severity of the offences but emphasised Aris’ early guilty pleas to charges of criminal damage, battery, and strangulation. He told the court these were “of particular importance in cases of this nature.”

Judge Catherine Richards expressed concern over the risk Aris posed to the victim, noting that he had been assessed as a high risk of reoffending. “Only immediate custody is the appropriate means of punishment,” the judge said.

Aris was sentenced to 15 months in prison and given a two-year restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victim.