A plumber who strangled his girlfriend in front of her children on two separate occasions before he was PAVA-sprayed by police for resisting arrest has been jailed.

He also told one of the children their mother was a “c***”, and sent her a text message with a picture of her damaged laptop saying, “see what happens when you don’t pick up your phone”.

Thomas Haining, 34, was jailed for more than two years at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday after a jury found him guilty at a trial in November of two counts of intentional strangulation.

He also pleaded guilty to destroying property and obstructing a police officer in the execution of their duty.

Mercedeh Jabbari, prosecuting, said the relationship between Haining and his victim was “aggressive” and the first instance of strangulation occurred on June 22 after the pair had been out for a meal.

Lancashire Telegraph: Thomas HainingThomas Haining (Image: Lancs Police)

Ms Jabbari told the court: “They had been talking about a man and the defendant made some comments which upset the victim and she wasn’t happy.

“They went back to the defendant’s home. She didn’t want to speak to him so went to put her children to bed, and then at 11pm the defendant went upstairs and threw his shorts in her face, pushed her off the bed, got her in the corner of the room and strangled her with both hands around her throat.”

Ms Jabbari said Haining was screaming at her, “f***ing say sorry, f***ing say sorry”, and he’d grabbed her so tightly she thought she would pass out.

He only stopped when her seven-year-old son came into the room and asked if she was OK.

The victim managed to leave and returned to her own home. The following day she received a message from Haining with a photo of her work laptop which had been smashed.

The message said: “See what happens when you don’t pick up your phone."

Two months later a similar incident occurred.

Ms Jabbari went on: “On August 26 the victim had been on a night out before returning home around 2.45am.

“The defendant then arrived at her home and began arguing with her about her going out.

“She described his behaviour as ‘horrible’ and went upstairs as one of her children had woken up.

“She tried to get into bed but the defendant grabbed one of her children and said ‘you’re coming with me because your mum is a c***’.

“He then made his way into the bedroom and at one point he was on top of her strangling her with both hands around her throat.

“He pushed her off the bed and she hit her eye on the bedside table.

“She was then at the top of the stairs and his hands were still around her neck before he forced her down the stairs.”

Haining’s victim managed to get away and ran out of the front door and alerted her neighbours who called the police.

She was taken to hospital with bruising to her arms, cheeks, and eye socket as well as around her neck.

The police attended Haining’s home address and as they tried to enter, he became volatile, pushed one of the officers and tried to close the door in their faces.

PAVA spray was deployed and when they eventually managed to make their way into the property it took four of the officers to pin the defendant down.

He was arrested and denied the offences, only admitting to obstructing the police.

Mitigating, Ellie Akhgar said Haining was a hard-working man who would lose business if he was sent to prison.

She told the court that during lockdown he had turned to drinking heavily and this had spilled over into 2021 and 2022, without him doing anything to resolve his issues.

Haining, of Deer Park, Accrington, was jailed for 30 months.