A boyfriend who choked his partner and asked "are you ready to die?" was spared jail.

The judge said Devereux had a "quite appalling record" including crimes of a "menacing flavour" against women...but the judge gave him 21 months in prison, suspended for two years, plus 150 hours of unpaid work and a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Non specific strangulation must be made a specific crime and carry an automatic custodial sentence.