A THUG who tried to strangle his former partner and held a knife to her throat has been jailed for 18 months.

Judge Graeme Smith told Joshua Richardson that he had not accepted responsibility for his behaviour.

Richardson had denied causing actual bodily harm and claimed the incident had been a "mistake" but was convicted.

Sentencing him, Judge Smith told him: "It wasn't a mistake. You don't strangle someone by mistake."

Colin Buckle, prosecuting, said 27-year-old Richardson and his victim had previously been in a relationship and have a daughter together.

In the early hours of July 4 last year he turned up at his ex-girlfriend's home wanting to see the child, who was not there.

"There was a brief conversation and, without warning, the defendant pinned her against the bathroom wall," said Mr Buckle.

The woman freed herself but was then thrown onto a bed where she spotted him wearing a necklace with their daughter's name on it.

"It seems that he hasn't had much involvement with his daughter and the complainant, seeing that necklace, was aggravated and she accepts that she took hold of it, pulled at it and it came away from the defendant's neck," said Mr Buckle.

"She says that this provoked the defendant and he punched her to the face, pinned her down and bit her left shoulder."

Richardson then held a Stanley knife, which was already in the house, to her neck and began to strangle her.

"She doesn't know how long he was strangling her for but she said it felt like a very long time, she couldn't breathe," said Mr Buckle.

The following day the woman had difficulty eating and swallowing.

When arrested Richardson told police that he had been concerned that a new partner might find out that he had been in contact with his ex and a struggle started when he grabbed her laptop, wanting to delete messages between them.

He claimed he was defending himself but this claim was rejected by the courts.

Thomas Worsfold, defending, told the court: "He does now accept that he was wrong to go round to the victim's house that evening and everything that happened thereafter was a mistake."

He added that Richardson, of Brentwood Drive, Bolton, claims the blade was not out on the knife he was holding and he accepts he needs to work on managing his alcohol consumption and mental health.

Rejecting requests to spare Richardson jail and making a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim, Judge Smith told him: "I don't accept that you have accepted responsibility for what happened.

"You did not plead guilty and when you were interviewed for the pre-sentence report you still denied intentionally causing the injuries.

"I have very real concerns about whether there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation while you remain of that attitude."