A 33-year-old man from Blackwood with previous violent convictions has been sentenced to prison for strangling a woman.

Daniel Jenkins entered a guilty plea on the day his trial was due to begin.

Prosecuting counsel Sol Hartley outlined the circumstances to Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, explaining the attack took place in the town on September 27 last year.

Defence solicitor Jeffrey Jones stated that his client’s willingness to admit responsibility represented the strongest factor in his favour.

Sentencing Jenkins, Judge Lucy Crowther observed that he possessed an extremely poor history of violent behaviour.

She described the incident as a terrifying ordeal for the complainant and a grave physical assault.

The defendant had previously received a suspended sentence, which his new offences meant he had violated.

Jenkins, who had no permanent address, was handed a 14-month term along with an additional consecutive period of three months due to the breach of his earlier suspended sentence.

The combined custodial period amounts to 17 months, with the defendant expected to serve approximately 40 percent behind bars before being released under supervision.

A three-year restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim was also imposed, and he must contribute to a victim surcharge.