A 57-YEAR-OLD told a woman “I could kill you if I wanted to” as he attacked in her kitchen, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Rob Britton had never been in trouble with the law before, but in a drunken attack strangled his victim and tried to gouge her eyes, before smashing a glass chopping board.

On October 29 last year, Britton met up with the woman outside Café Rose in Pembroke and the pair headed to meet friends at the Old Kings Arms.

The victim wasn’t drinking and left earlier, getting back at around 9.30pm. She hadn’t been planning to stay there that night, but decided to as she felt Britton was too drunk to look after the dogs at the property, prosecutor Harry Dickens said.

When Britton returned, he was “surprised” to see her and “asked what she was doing”.

He then attacked her.

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Mr Dickens told the court that Britton knelt over his victim on the kitchen floor, strangling her, and said: “I’m going to kill you”.

As she struggled to breathe, he said: “I could kill you if I wanted to. I know how to kill someone”.

He then attempted to stick his fingers in her eyes, which she avoided by “writhing around”.

Britton grabbed his victim by the arm and told her “I’m going to put you out of action”, and then held his foot over her head and said: “I’m going to smash your head”.

The victim shuffled back, and Britton picked up a glass chopping board and held it above his head, before smashing it against a kitchen counter.

When she threatened to call the police, he told her: “Go on then”.

Mr Dickens said Britton went upstairs to collect his things, but then refused to leave.

The victim later reported the incident to the police, and Britton was arrested.

Mr Dickens said there was no application for a restraining order as the victim “doesn’t appear to see him as a threat anymore”.

Britton, 57, of The Parade in Pembroke, had no previous convictions.

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

John Hipkin, defending, said Britton had moved away from the victim and was getting help for his anger management, as well as abstaining from alcohol since the incident.

“It’s a tragic case for all concerned,” he said.

The judge, Recorder Aidan Eardley, sentenced Britton to 15 months, suspended for a year. As part of this, he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.