A man has been jailed for attacking his girlfriend and burning her knickers and sex toys on her barbecue in a jealous rage.

Lucy Webb, 21, said she thought her life had come to an end when her then boyfriend Martin Woolfe, 31, forced his way into her home, flung her to the floor and crushed her throat.

Woolfe, of Field View, Chippenham, told magistrates last week he did it because his girlfriend of six months had cheated on him.

The court heard Woolfe had “a propensity for violence” and numerous previous convictions, including for domestic violence.

Miss Webb told police there had been some violence in the past, but she had not reported it.

Prosecutor Michelle Hewitt said: “It started the previous weekend. She agreed to go out with some friends, causing him to become angry. So he burned her property on the barbecue, ten pieces of her underwear and sex toys.

“He turned up at her house that evening and admitted he’d done it and apologised. He left really early, before 6am the next day.”

But he returned with fury when Miss Webb had gone out and rampaged through the house, cutting up her underwear and stabbing garden furniture with a knife.

He returned later in the day, kicking Miss Webb’s front door down, despite having a key, and dragging her by the hair into the kitchen where he pushed her backwards into a clothes dryer.

This collapsed and sent her flying, landing on her back on the floor. He pressed his forearm against her throat.

Ms Hewitt said: “She was petrified, she thought he was going to kill her.”

Woolfe left only when disturbed by a neighbour who had heard the commotion.

Woolfe was given a two-year restraining order and sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, after admitting two counts of assault and two of criminal damage on May 20 this year. He was ordered to pay £835 compensation.

Woolfe, who does ground work full time, told magistrates: “I’m just really sorry for everything that’s happened.”