A MAN who grabbed his girlfriend's throat before beating her unconscious has avoided jail.

Liam Lester, of Bryn Hyfryd in Trawsfynydd, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court for sentencing on Monday.

The 24-year-old had previously admitted common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Cari Lewis, as well as two offences of criminal damage at her home.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, said Lester and Ms Lewis had been in a relationship for about three years.

Things started to change in around 2020 following an argument, and the national covid-19 lockdown put a further strain on their relationship.

He became "abusive and nasty" to her when he had alcohol, particularly vodka.

On November 14 last year, they were drinking at a friend's house when an argument occurred between them because Ms Lewis had 'not deleted all of the male contacts on her Snapchat profile.'

Lester became abusive and pushed Ms Lewis against a wall when she tried to stop him from walking out.

She went home for a short while and then decided to go out to the Royal Oak pub in Penrhyndeudraeth - where she spotted Lester.

He became abusive once again and told her he was going to her home to "take the dog."

When she returned home later she found the damage Lester had caused - with food thrown around the kitchen and ornaments broken, as well as her bed.

He returned to the property and snatched her phone from her, throwing it into a field.

Following a further argument Lester stood over her on the sofa, accused her of flirting with other men and grabbed her throat, preventing her from breathing, and bit her cheek.

Ms Lewis smashed a glass over his head and tried to push him away with a brush, but he took it and hit her in the face with it more than once.

After that point, she recalled little, the court heard.

Police attended the property - alerted by a friend Ms Lewis had been speaking to before Lester snatched the phone.

Officers found her unconscious on the floor - which Lester initially told officers is how he found her when he arrived.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Lewis said she felt scared to go out on her own in case she sees Lester.

He 'needs help with anger issues,' she said in the statement, adding she didn't want to be the reason he went to prison.

Jonathan Austin, defending, said Lester and Ms Lewis were "not seeking to reconcile," and emphasised his client's early guilty pleas.

Judge Nicola Jones told Lester: "You made a mess of her home and held her down.

"You squeezed her throat so tight she couldn't breathe.

"You bit her cheek and she was trying desperately to get you off her. "You beat her until she was unconscious.

"Thankfully as a result of your attack there was no significant or long term injury. "But I think you know now how close you came to killing her that night."

Judge Jones said the community at large, in particular women, would be better served by his rehabilitation rather than his imprisonment.

She handed him a two year custodial sentence, but suspended it for two years.

He must undertake up to 35 programme sessions to address domestic abusive attitudes, as well as 35 rehabilitation activity days to address his "adverse childhood experiences, anger management, emotional resilience and poor self worth feelings."

Judge Jones handed him an alcohol abstinence monitoring order of 128 days, and ordered him to pay compensation of £1,357 - £1,000 to Ms Lewis, £300 for the damage to her door and £57 for her damaged belongings.

Lester must also pay a £156 victim surcharge.