Cheating husband strangled wife after she found 'dirty' texts to other women when he passed out drunk
Jonathan Neale, 40, from Bettws, Newport, in Wales, attacked his wife after she confronted him about his texts to other women.
A cheating husband strangled his wife after she discovered his "dirty" text messages to other women while he was passed out drunk.
Jonathan Neale, 40, fell asleep by his front door after a day of drinking and watching rugby with another woman.
His wife, Claire, put him to bed after taking a photo of him lying on the floor. Shen then checked his phone and found dozens of messages to other women, Newport Magistrates' Court heard.
She said: "I got his wet clothes off him, put him to bed and had a look through his phone, where I discovered he hasn’t stopped messaging women dirty texts, videos telling women he loves them and if he wasn’t in a relationship with me he’d be with her."
After checking his phone, Claire told Neale: "We are done."
The court heard that Neale then attacked his wife, strangling her with his hands around her neck, making her "fear for her life".
He let go after Claire bit his finger, before he then fled the house, the court was told.
Prosecutor Anna Parry said Neale had been drinking Coors Light beer and Jack Daniel's whiskey throughout the day while watching the Wales v Ireland Six Nations rugby match before the attack.
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"The defendant had been watching the rugby with his friends," said Ms Parry.
"He asked the victim to pick him up and she went to collect him. The defendant was found quite intoxicated and he had fallen asleep at a bus station.
"When they were home, the complainant helped undress him and put him to bed and he went to sleep.
"The victim checked his mobile phone as a result of previous affairs on his part."
The court heard Claire woke Neale and told him, “We are done”, and asked him to leave.
“He put his two hands to her throat area and this made her feel petrified," said Ms Parry.
"She didn’t think he was going to let go but the complainant managed to bite his finger and he loosened his grip.
“The defendant fled the house and was later arrested by the police."
Neale, of Bettws, Newport, in Wales, pleaded guilty to intentionally strangling his wife.
Lynda Rhead, defending, said: "He’s not proud of himself. The defendant has shown his remorse from the outset.
"It was clearly a horrible incident that the victim should not have gone through.
"This is somebody who is holding his head in shame."
Neale was given a 12-month suspended sentence and a two-year restraining order not to contact his wife.
