A NEW FOREST woman was terrified she was going to die when her husband, who was high on a cocktail of drink and drugs, put his hand around her neck, started squeezing and told her: "I'm going to kill you."

Sarah Feltham struggled for breath as their young son was lying alongside her asleep.

Southampton Crown Court heard how the the Ringwood couple's marriage had deteriorated so badly Mrs Feltham felt it was over.

Prosecutor, Adam Feest, said Gary Feltham, a roofing company boss, went drinking and did not get home until 3.30am, when he got into bed.

After she rebuffed his sexual advances, he put his hand around her neck, told her he was going to kill her and then punched her in the stomach. "He then put his hand around her neck again applying pressure," said Mr Feest.

After forcing her husband off her, she accused him of trying to kill her but he insisted: "No, I wasn't. You were having nightmares."

Mrs Feltham then tried to call 999 but he ripped the telephone cord out of the socket. However, she succeeded in phoning a friend on her mobile phone and the police arrived.

Feltham, 39, of The Mount, admitted a threat to kill and causing actual bodily harm. Jailing him for three years, Judge Derwin Hope told Feltham: "Courts will do all they can to deter domestic violence and protect vulnerable women."

In mitigation, Angela Morris said whatever had been the stresses of their relationship, that night he had acted out of character and he acknowledged the anguish and distress he had caused his family.