A company director pinned his girlfriend against the kitchen wall during a drunken argument, before turning on a bystander who tried to intervene.
Lee Turner also threw a pasta jar and Christmas decorations at his then-partner during the row, causing a cut close to her eye, Bolton Crown Court heard.
Turner, of Farnworth, had been drinking vodka after finishing work on the afternoon of November 28 last year, prosecution barrister Hugh McKee told the court.
The 43-year-old, who is a director of Bolton-based property firm Luxdel, then got into an argument with his girlfriend later that evening.
Mr McKee said: “He made her a drink but it was too strong so she diluted it and there was a slight argument about a comment he’d put on Facebook about another female.
“He began to be argumentative and began to list dislikes in relation to her.”
Due to the argument, his girlfriend went to bed but came back down around 20 minutes later after he’d come up to the bedroom to speak to her and seemed calm.
Turner then made her another drink that was too strong. When she went to dilute it again, he “snapped” and told her to pack her stuff.
He grabbed the woman by the throat, pinning her against the kitchen wall. Turner then threw what the woman described as a “canister of pasta” at her head and Mr McKee told the court that this caused a cut to her eye.
In his own statement, Turner had said that the cut had been caused when he threw a Christmas decoration at the woman.
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
During the row, a teenager intervened and screamed at Turner to stop but he then assaulted them as well.
When police arrived, at around 2am, officers said Christmas decorations were in the street and throughout the house.
Turner was in bed but police woke him up and arrested him.
At his interview, Turner denied the assaults and said that it was the woman who threw the Christmas decorations.
In a victim personal statement, the teenager said that they have struggled to sleep since the incident.
The statement added: “Being assaulted by Lee has affected my education. I’d wake up in the morning for school and I would be so stressed out that I would feel sick.”
Mitigating, Thomas Worsfold told the court that there was a lack of pre-meditation and that Turner has shown remorse for his actions.
Mr Worsfold added that Turner is a man of previous good character, with no convictions, and submitted that there is a strong prospect of rehabilitation.
Talking about character references from Turner’s business partner Jason Derbyshire and Reverend Alison Comber from the Seven Saints parish, Mr Worsfold said: “The character references testify that he is someone who is supportive of others, both at home, in his work, and his work in the community.
“It is, in many ways, a very sad incident.”
Turner pleaded guilty to assault by beating and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Sentencing him to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, Judge Timothy Stead said: “I am sure you, as an intelligent man, realise it’s a shameful position to be in, standing in the dock of a crown court.
“You have behaved atrociously and I’m sure you’re only too aware of it.
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“I am satisfied that you are sincerely remorseful for what happened. I am sure that quite apart from what lurks in your own personality, the misuse of alcohol has played a big part in this and it’s something you’re going to have to watch in future.
“You have lost your self-control completely, not only for a moment or two, but in a protracted way.”
He added: “The prospect of rehabilitation I think is very strong and your remorse, I think, was genuine.”
Turner was ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay £425 in costs.
Judge Stead also imposed restraining orders, lasting ten years, prohibiting Turner from contacting either of the victims, or going within 100 metres of the woman’s home.