A WOMAN believed her male relative was going to kill her when he strangled her in an assault at a family gathering.

Jamie Munnik threw a glass at the woman, injuring her foot, at his home and then when the situation spilled out into the garden he kicked, punched and choked her.

The woman has received ongoing medical treatment since the assault in November 2018.

Judge Brian Forster QC said what happened had a "devastating" impact on the victim and her experience since was the "most terrible time".

However, the 27-year-old was given a suspended sentence at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, October 9.

This comes 20 months after he was given a separate suspended sentence for assaulting two police officers who were called to the domestic incident at the defendant's home in Woodvale Gardens, New Milton.

Prosecuting Aleks Lloyd said that during the incident on November 17, 2018, the woman suffered tendon injuries in her foot, which required an operation, leading to mobility issues. She also experienced neck problems as a result of being strangled round the neck by the defendant's hands.

During the fight in the garden Munnik, who is a father, repeatedly kicked and punched the victim. Other members of the family became involved to break the situation up.

Two statements from the complainant read out in court by Mr Lloyd said the assault "changed her as a person", caused problems within the family and she had experienced flashbacks of what happened.

She said she had suffered physically and mentally as a result.

"During the attack I genuinely believed he was going to kill me," the statement said.

Munnik had denied charges of unlawful wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm but changed his plea in August of this year.

Mitigating John Dyer said the defendant had stuck his head in the sand for some time but was now facing up to what happened.

Mr Dyer said Munnik had acted "completely out of character".

The barrister said the defendant had complied with the requirements of his earlier suspended sentence and argued he would be rehabilitated best outside of custody.

In sentencing Munnik to 14 months in prison, suspended for 15 months, Judge Forster QC told him he was "completely responsibly in every way for what happened" and "you were in drink and in every sense 'lost it'".

"She [the complainant] has had the most terrible time since the incident," the judge added.

Judge Forster QC ordered Munnik to pay £2,000 compensation to the victim, to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to attend 20 rehabilitation days with the probation service.