A WOMAN was strangled during a prolonged assault by her estranged husband as she prepared for the sale of their former home.

Carlisle Crown Court heard the woman had arranged for a photographer to attend and take images of the Workington property.

As the photographer arrived, at around 9am on January 30 last year, the woman saw her estranged husband, 39-year-old David Wayne Thomas Smith, pull up in his van. They had been together for more than two decades and married for 15 before separating.

The woman explained she had just escaped a domestically abusive relationship and was selling the house as a result. Smith then entered, demanding: “What have you just said?”

He had consumed alcohol and cocaine the previous night, the court heard.

“The defendant continued to be verbally abusive towards the victim,” said prosecutor Eve Salter. As the woman went upstairs — leaving the photographer downstairs — Smith followed her.

“He grabbed hold of the victim and held the dress she was wearing, causing it to rip. The defendant was saying ‘don’t ever speak to me like that again like that; watch what will happen’,” said Ms Salter.

The woman went downstairs. Smith followed her to the kitchen and threw his mobile phone into a corner.

“The victim told the defendant she was going to ring the police, to which the defendant has said ‘my phone is smashed so your phone is next’,” said the prosecutor. Smith took hold of the woman’s phone and threw it on the floor, causing it to break.

Ms Salter said of Smith: “He has then grabbed hold of the victim’s neck and thrown her on to the floor in the kitchen. While on the ground, the defendant has got on top of the victim and was grabbing hold of her neck with his right hand, and holding his body up with his left.

“The victim was continuously telling the defendant ‘get off me’ but ultimately pushed him with both her palms to his forehead, causing him to fall backwards.”

“I felt petrified and did not know what he would do next,” the woman later said in an impact statement. “I just wanted it all to stop.”

She fled the house and locked herself in a car outside. Smith followed once again, banged on a vehicle window and demanded she speak to him.

“The victim has opened her car window and the defendant has leaned into the car and punched her to the mouth, causing her lower lip to burst,” said Ms Salter.

“The victim wound up her window and was crying, begging the defendant to let her go. She asked the defendant to move his van so she could drive off the path but he refused as he said she would go to the police station to report him.”

Smith, of Poole Road, Salterbeck, then kicked an offside front panel of the woman’s vehicle, causing a dent in the metal work.

He later admitted offences of actual bodily harm assault and two counts of criminal damage, plus a charge of resisting a police constables on a separate date.

Jeff Smith, defending, said Smith — latterly a self-employed plasterer — had been remanded in custody since December.

“He has had a great opportunity to reflect and also come to terms not only with what he has done but also the end of the relationship,” said the lawyer. “He is now clean of drugs. When he is able to return to the community he will return to work.

“This is a man who has learned his lesson.”

Judge Michael Fanning, in view of Smith’s strangulation during the assault, imposed an immediate 18-month jail term.

“This incident was prolonged. There were several parts to it — two distinct elements of grabbing by the throat; strangulation,” the judge concluded.