A MAN strangled his partner after she refused to give him money to fund his cocaine habit.

Antonio Sollazzo, 34, was acting “erratically and “aggressively” when he launched the attack at his then-partner's home.

It was one of a series of offences directed at the woman and fuelled by the defendant’s drug abuse, a court heard.

Sollazzo, of Egmont Road in Poole, had also followed her home, broken into her house, damaged her belongings, and bombarded her phone with phone calls and messages on other occasions.

Prosecuting, Tom Wright said the victim had been at home on the evening of Tuesday, April 11, and received messages from Sollazzo asking for money.

When Sollazzo then came home at 10pm, he demanded that his partner go to bed and became “very angry” when she refused to.

He then “angrily swiped” the glass she was holding, before “sweeping” a candle holder and Buddha statue from the mantlepiece – breaking all three items.

On Thursday, June 8, Sollazzo called his partner to request money again, before making the request in person as she walked near her home.

With his requests ignored, the defendant followed his partner into her house, and into her bedroom.

There, he snatched his her rucksack from her back and shut himself in the bathroom with it, attempting to get hold of her bank card, the court heard.

When his partner tried to get into the bathroom, Sollazzo pushed her back and put his forearm up against her throat, applying pressure for around ten seconds.

In a victim personal statement, she said she was “struggling to breathe” and described the pressure as being “seven out of ten”.

Then, on Saturday, June 10, the victim was woken up in the early hours of the morning to multiple calls and messages from Sollazzo.

A short while later, Sollazzo arrived at the end of her bed, having climbed through her kitchen window.

He had been suspicious that another person had been in the house with her. 

The defendant appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday, October 18, having previously pled guilty to charges of intentional strangulation, criminal damage, assault by beating and harassment in relation to the three incidents.

Mitigating, Robert Griffiths noted Sollazzo had been with his partner for around 14 years, and that the relationship had deteriorated due to his cocaine abuse.

Mr Griffiths said: “He accepts that his relationship had been going wrong for some time, and he accepts that his drug abuse turned him into a different person.”

It was also said that the defendant was remorseful for what happened, and was eager to change, having seen how “unpleasant it can be for drug addicts” during his time in prison.

Mr Griffiths added: “He’s a hard worker, and he has done well in prison. When he is released he wants to go back to work.

"There is a strong prospect of rehabilitation.

“He shows genuine remorse and genuine recognition of the need to change.”

Recorder Tom Webb told Sollazzo: “The relationship suffered from your abuse of cocaine, and the incidents occurred because you were either wanting money for cocaine or were under the influence of cocaine, or both.”

Addressing the intentional strangulation charges, Recorder Webb added: “Ten seconds is a long time for some one that is struggling to breathe.

"It would have been a frightening experience for her.”

Sollazzo was jailed for 16 months and handed a restraining order last ten years.