"You are going to die tonight": Sunderland woman choked and kept prisoner by thug

Jamie Thompson had been out of jail for just three days after an earlier attack on the same woman when he lashed out at her again without warning on June 4.Newcastle Crown Court heard after the 33-year-old made his victim's face bleed with a forceful blow he warned her "I'm going to have to kill you now because you will go to the police".During the sickening violence that followed, Thompson pulled the woman's neck back with his forearm which made her struggle to breathe and knelt on her back then told her "I don't care if I go back to prison, as long as you are gone".Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court the scared victim, who was warned "you are going to die tonight", faked unconsciousness in a bid to get the assault on her to stop.But Mr Bunch added: "The defendant saw through that pretence, saying he knew she hadn't passed out."He went on to punch her to both sides of the face."Her face started bleeding even more."The court heard the sight of the increasing pool of his victim's blood eventually made Thompson stop the attack.Thompson then spent the night at his victim's home in Sunderland and refused to let her out the following morning when she woke up with two black eyes, bruising to her neck, arms, hands, thigh and knee as well as cuts and lacerations.She was unable to open her left eye because of her injuries.Mr Bunch said: "He said he would go out and get some cream. She said she would go with him but he said she was not allowed to leave the house, given her appearance."The court heard Thompson locked the woman in her flat and seized her mobilephone while he went out for around 90 minutes.Mr Bunch added: "She said during that time she considered whether she would be able to jump out of the window but it was a first floor flat."She tried to use a nail file to unlock the door."The court heard the victim had began to be violently sick by the time Thompson arrived back but he refused her request to go to hospital.It was only later that night he allowed her out, while he was with her, and she was able to jump on a bus while he was distracted by a conversation with someone and go straight to hospital.The court heard the victim has since moved house to an unknown location.She said in an impact statement: "I will not feel safe once Jamie is released."I am afraid, once he is released, he will harass my family to find out where I am living."I hope he will let me go and move on with his life."Thompson, of Penshaw Street, Sunderland, admitted assault and false imprisonment.Judge Amanda Rippon jailed him for 27 months, with a ten year restraining order, and told him: "She pretended to lose consciousness in the hope you would cease your assault but you did not fall for it and punched her further to her face."More blood flowed."She wanted to go to hospital but you wouldn't let her go. You knew exactly what would happen if she did, having been so recently released from the sentence you had imposed for the previous assault upon her."You have abused this woman for many years, using your fists and being violent towards her."You are a coward and a bully."The court heard the last attack on the victim involved Thompson headbutting her and during a previous assault she was punched which caused her to cut her head when it banged against a window.Jane Foley, defending, said: "The only mitigation that can be advanced, realistically, on behalf of this defendant, is his guilty plea and the prevention of the complainant in this case from being forced to give evidence before a jury."Miss Foley said alcohol is at the heart of Thompson's offending.