A WOMAN described to Chester Crown Court how she thought she was going to die when her partner attacked her in her own home.

Simon McCulloch, of Green Lane in Vicars Cross had denied all charges of assault but was found guilty of three counts of common assault and one of intimidating a witness.

He was found not guilty of five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court heard McCulluch had started a relationship with Maxine Wells from Blacon in 1999.

Ms Wells told the court it was a violent 12 year relationship, and told the court of some of the attacks.

Ms Wells told the court in November 2008 she found a card from a girl in his trouser pocket.

She said: “He didn’t like me finding that.”

“He was hitting me, strangling me on the settee.”

After splitting up Ms Wells described how he came round to her home after an argument about his dogs and she let him in.

She said: “He grabbed me round the throat, and he was strangling me. I thought he was trying to kill me.

“I thought I was going to die.”

Ms Wells told the court she told him she was going to the police and he just kept slapping her across the face.

Ms Wells then described him suddenly stopping and hitting himself in the face violently.

“He was going to say that I had done that to him.”

After she contacted the police she said he kept phoning her “trying to get me to feel guilty”.

She said later when she saw him on the street.

“He was saying I was dead” she continued. “He said he organised for somebody to get me after work.”

Chester Judge Elgan Edwards jailed McCulloch for nine months.