A MAN has been jailed after launching a prolonged attack on his partner and her puppy when he returned home and found she had smashed a photograph of him.

Burnley Crown Court heard Daniel Shaun Davidson repeatedly punched and kicked his girlfriend, Jenette Donaldson, and attacked her pet dog in the bedroom of their Accrington house on November 2.

During the three-hour assault the 37-year-old, from Darwen, snatched his victim’s asthma inhaler from her before later throttling her.

Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, described Davidson, of Gordon Street, as volatile, short tempered and abusive towards his partner during their six-month relationship.

The assault came two weeks after the couple moved into a house together on Monk Street, Accrington.

Davidson had left his partner home alone in the early hours of Friday, November 2, after they had both visited a local pub. An angry Ms Donaldson smashed a picture of the defendant before going to bed with her dog.

She woke up at 8am to several missed calls from Davidson, who had asked his partner if he could come home, but she refused.

Five minutes later Davidson entered the house and headed to the bedroom before launching an attack on his partner, who was still in bed, after seeing the broken picture on the floor. He said: “Is that how much I mean to you?”

The victim suffered a panic attack during the assault and when she tried to grab her asthma inhaler from the bedside table, Davidson snatched it away. He then shouted abuse at the puppy, still laying on the bed, and kicked the pet.

Ms Donaldson ran downstairs attempting to leave the house but her partner stopped him. Hoping to get the attention of neighbours, she screamed but Davidson used his hand to cover her mouth and nose and then throttled her.

Mr Bassano said: “The victim is sometimes flooded with the memory of being suffocated and she continues to experience it every time she uses her inhaler.”

The defendant then went up to bed and asked his partner to follow him. Once he fell asleep the victim, who had a cut to her head and scratches to her face, crept downstairs and escaped the house.

She called the police at around 11.30am, and Davidson was arrested.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and causing actual bodily harm.

Robert Smith, defending, described his client’s behaviour as contemptible and said: “Mr Davidson has asked me to apologise on his behalf for his conduct. It was his deceased father’s birthday that day and he was in an emotional state.”

Davidson was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment but no restraining order was requested by the victim.