A man who attacked a woman in a church in Hadleigh has been jailed for 20 months.

Leon Woods went to the Hadleigh Baptist Church on September 18 and grabbed the woman, who was known to him, by the throat and threw her to the floor causing her to cut her cheek on a wooden board, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He returned less than an hour later and again grabbed the woman by her throat with both hands stopping her from breathing for a short time, said Peter Gair, prosecuting.

He said a church minister had entered the building and saw Woods on top of the woman who had visible injuries.

Woods, 31, of no fixed address, admitted disclosing private sexual photographs, assault by beating and breaching a suspended sentence order.

The court heard that Woods had sent sexual pictures of a woman he knew to a man on Facebook Messenger.

Hugh Vass, for Woods, said his client had expressed remorse for the offences.