A MAN who repeatedly punched his partner in the face before strangling her until she passed out has been jailed for two years and four months.

Aaron Gaughan, 24, denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his partner Tara Mitchell at her home last October.

But a jury at Oxford Crown Court found Gaughan, of Falcon Close, Blackbird Leys, guilty on Friday.

Judge Zoe Smith said of his victim: “She had appalling injuries to her face; it was very swollen, she had injuries to her eyes and her mouth and in addition she was throttled until she passed out”.

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The court heard an argument broke out between Gaughan and Miss Mitchell in the early hours of October 26 last year.

Judge Smith said Gaughan had admitted “doing something bad”

and that he had “lost it” but still denied the charge.

Roxanne Aisthorpe, prosecuting, said Gaughan had 18 previous convictions for 51 offences, including grievous bodily harm, but none for domestic violence.

She said there had been a complaint against him from an ex-partner, who claimed he had punched and kicked her and threatened her with a knife, but the case had not made it to court.

Timothy Akers, defending, said Judge Smith should treat the previous allegation of domestic violence with caution as there was no conviction, but accepted his client did get into serious difficulties with his relationships.

Mr Akers said doctor’s evidence showed Gaughan’s partner had suffered bruising and swelling but not lacerations. But Judge Smith said: “The injury was serious and you did deliberately cause her more harm because you repeatedly punched her in the face.”

Gaughan, a ground worker, was serving a suspended sentence for aggravated vehicle taking and handling stolen goods at the time of the attack.

Judge Smith jailed Gaughan for two years for ABH and a further four months for breaching the suspended sentence.