A Belfast man who throttled and punched his ex-partner in their bed while interrogating her about old Facebook messages has been jailed for 10 months.
Stephen Montgomery, 43, was also ordered to serve a further 10 months on licence for an attack which left the woman with a black eye and injured ribs.
Passing sentence, a district judge lamented the limitations on her powers in cases of serious domestic violence.
Montgomery, of Elgin Street in the city, pleaded guilty to non-fatal strangulation and common assault.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard he launched the attack after waking the victim from her sleep at his home on January 19 this year .
“He was holding her phone and proceeded to show her old Facebook messages from male acquaintances, stating ‘what’s all this about?’,” a Crown lawyer said.
Despite the woman explaining they were old communications, Montgomery angrily gritted his teeth and moved around the bed.
“He straddled her and began to interrogate her about who they were,” the prosecutor added.
“The defendant placed one hand on her throat and pressed down with his body weight for four seconds while she was unable to breathe.”
Montgomery then pressed his forehead against the woman’s, forced her back into the pillow and squeezed her mouth together, the court heard.
“When he removed his hand he leaned forward, placing his forehead onto her forehead and forcing her back into the pillow.
At one point she pretended to be asleep, but he punched her in the face and body while holding a wrist she had raised to protect herself.
The victim sustained a black eye, bruising to her body and an injured ribcage which left her in pain and struggling to breath.
She told police she was so terrified by Montgomery’s actions that she did not speak about it the next morning due to fears it would make him angry again.
Defence counsel Kelly Doherty confirmed her client and the woman both now accept their relationship is over.
District Judge Anne Marshall stated: “Yet again, I would point out to the prosecution that this court’s powers are limited in terms of sentencing.
“Fortunately there seems hopefully to be a direction of travel that more of these cases will go to the Crown Court now.”
Even though Montgomery ultimately pleaded guilty, Mrs Marshall stressed the victim would still have suffered months of anxiety.
“The only sentence I can pass today is one of 10 months in custody, and 10 months on licence,” she confirmed.
Montgomery was also ordered to have no contact with the woman as part of a five-year restraining order.
