A MAN who subjected a woman and her young child to a violent assault in her own home laughed in the dock as he was spared jail.

Michael Davies, of Rollestone Street, Salisbury, was found guilty of three charges of assault at Salisbury Magistrates Court on July 13. On Friday he was given a six-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Having sobbed in the dock, Davies, 29, laughed and jumped up and down as he was released.

He held up his bag of belongings ready for prison and told his family: “I told you this was just for show, didn’t I?”

Prosecuting, Kate Prince said Davies and the woman had been drinking at a funeral and had argued.

The woman left, but when she got home Davies was waiting for her.

He swore at her then “jumped up, grabbed her by the throat and pushed her back onto the bed and strangled her,” the court heard.

Ms Prince said the children “were screaming and crying” as Davies shouted: “F*cking apologise and I’ll let you go.”

She said Davies “kept trying to shut the children in the living room and kept telling them ‘f*ck off, she deserves it’”.

Davies had ripped out the woman’s hair extensions, leaving her with bald patches, and cuts and bruises across her face.

In an interview with police, the woman’s son said he saw Davies dragging his mother around the house.

“Mum didn’t look nice and there was red all over her face,” he said.

The child said Davies had grabbed his hair and pushed him over, leaving his face bruised.

The victim’s daughter also gave a statement and both gave evidence at the trial.

In a statement, the woman said: “I’m very scared of Michael and believe he is unpredictable and capable of anything.

“All three of my children have had nightmares. It’s heartbreaking and I feel like I have failed as a mum to keep my children safe.”

Defending, Matthew George said Davies was acting in “excessive self-defence” and had been signed off work for three years due to depression. He had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder from “abuse at the hands of his father”.

Magistrate Debbie Slater said a suspended sentence was “not a soft option.”

Davies was also sentenced for three counts of criminal damage.