A WREXHAM man who repeatedly strangled his ex-partner has been jailed.

Owen Smith, 24, of Acton Road Wrexham, appeared before Caernarfon Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday, May 15.

He previously pleaded guilty at Mold Magistrates Court on May 19 to four counts of intentional strangulation and one of criminal damage.

Paulinus Barnes, prosecuting, told the court that Smith had been in a relationship with ex-partner Sophie Williams for a period of three years.

Ms Williams had been diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and Judge Timothy Petts described her as a 'vulnerable victim given the state of her health'.

The first incident between the pair took place on the night of March 18, when Smith returned to Ms Williams' home in Moss having been out drinking.

Ms Williams had told Smith that he was to 'stay away' from the home when he had been drinking, but that warning was ignored on the night in question.

At around 2.30am, the pair had got into an argument and that resulted in Smith pinning Ms Williams to the bed by her neck for 'a few seconds'.

Ms Williams felt that this was a 'deliberate attempt to scare her', according to Mr Barnes.

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Smith 'gripped' Ms Williams by the throat again later that night, the court was told.

He was 'refusing to leave' the house and when the complainant went to call the police he 'made her hang up'.

The defendant then 'gripped her around the throat' once more that night and she was left 'gasping for air' this time as he called her a 'dead girl'.

Mr Barnes said that Ms Williams felt that Smith 'was trying to kill her' at that point.

When police turned up following the cancelled call, they could see 'redness' on the neck of Ms Williams.

Smith was released on bail on the condition that he did not return to Ms Williams' address.

But, the court was told that the pair had 'reconciled' a few weeks later, with Ms Williams believing that the conditions of the bail had come to an end.

This then led to a second incident of the kind on May 15.

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PIC: Smith was jailed at Caernarfon Crown Court.

That night, Ms Williams was woken up by Smith who grabbed her by both shoulders and told her she was a 'cheat' after a message from an ex-partner came through on her phone.

He again grabbed her by the throat and said 'die, die, I am going to kill you'.

Smith also attempted to break or 'bend' the phone over his leg - which led to the criminal damage charge against him.

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Henry Hills, defending, said that Smith 'feels he has certainly let down' Ms Williams.

He says the defendant also acknowledges that he has problems with alcohol.

Sentencing Smith, Judge Petts agreed saying: "It is clear that alcohol has been a problem for some time."

Smith was jailed for a period of 20 months concurrently for the intentional strangulation charges and faced no separate penalty for the criminal damage.

A restraining order was also made and will last for 15 years.