AN IPSWICH man who beat up his partner because he thought she was being unfaithful has been jailed.Magistrates in Ipswich heard that Leslie Wells grabbed Dawn Allen so tightly round the throat that she blacked out.

AN IPSWICH man who beat up his partner because he thought she was being unfaithful has been jailed.

Magistrates in Ipswich heard that Leslie Wells grabbed Dawn Allen so tightly round the throat that she blacked out. He was sentenced to five months in jail.

The court also heard that Wells, of Gorse Road, Ipswich, and Miss Allen, who was in court for the sentencing, are now trying to rebuild their relationship.

Wells even winked at his partner in the public gallery as he was lead from the cells to the dock for the court hearing.

At a trial in his absence Wells had been found guilty of assaulting Miss Allen and causing her actual bodily harm in an attack on May 12.

The 37-year-old later denied further charges of attacking her again on July 23 and trying to intimidate her into not giving evidence on the same day.

The two other charges were discharged at the hearing at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court.

David Taylor, prosecuting, said that Wells attacked Miss Allen after she had enjoyed a night out with friends.

In a statement, read by Mr Taylor at court, Miss Allen said Wells had threatened to kill her.

The trouble started when she returned home and Wells accused her of being unfaithful. She tried to avoid him but he grabbed her as she attempted to get dressed.

She went on to say that he grabbed her throat, she said: "He had a very tight grip and was squeezing me tight, so tight I couldn't breathe."

She continued: "I really thought my time was up and he was going to kill me and I was dying and I blacked out."

The court heard that Miss Wells "came round ten to 15 minutes later". She was so scared she ran out of the house wearing just a T-shirt and underwear, she later contacted police.

Ian Divine, in mitigation, said that Wells had been in custody since August 12 and that Miss Allen had wanted to withdraw the complaint against him.

He added that she had been to visit Wells on numerous occasions and written to him on a regular basis during his time behind bars.

"Both parties would like the relationship to continue once Mr Wells is released from custody," said Mr Devine.

In sentencing Wells to prison, Mark Wade, chairman of the bench, described the attack as "nasty and continuing".