A TERRIFIED mum was pinned to her bed by the throat, a court heard.

Gareth Griffiths, of Tan y Clawdd in Johnstown, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday for sentencing.

At a previous hearing, the 32-year-old had admitted possession of cannabis, breaching a restraining order and assault by beating.

James Coutts, prosecuting, told the court the victim, Natalie Jones, had been in a relationship of about 10 years with Griffiths and they had two children.

The relationship ended in 2019 and he was subsequently convicted of assaulting her in 2020.

A restraining order was put in place in September but in the "immediate aftermath" he tried to contact her through a friend to suggest she get it lifted, the court heard.

Just a few weeks later he came to her back door and said he wanted to talk.

She felt "trapped into letting him talk to her" and he began sending texts, WhatsApp messages and making phone calls to her.

Some of the messages started pleasant, but some became "nasty attempts to manipulate her," Mr Coutts said.

At about 11pm on November 7, he came to her home uninvited and she let him in.

He was there just a short time before "something clicked" and he demanded so see her phone.

She refused and he pushed her on to her bed while he was holding her one-year-old baby, pinning Ms Jones by the throat.

He then pushed his head into her forehead and told her "I'd love to pummel you, but I won't," while making a fist gesture.

Mr Coutts said she was so scared she didn't move for 10 minutes.

He later returned and grabbed her by the throat again, gripping so tight she had difficulty talking.

He found her phone and examined it for 10 minutes before leaving.

The court heard he also set up a Facebook account in her name and talked to people, pretending to be her - which made her terrified men would turn up at her home.

Griffiths also bombarded her with phone calls and on one occasion he deliberately reversed his van into her car.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Jones described his behaviour as "unpredictable" and said she was constantly distressed.

Catherine Jagger, defending, said: "He is vocal in his disgust about his behaviour and has undertaken considerable self-analysis work; not as a get out of jail free card.

"He is genuinely ashamed."

Judge Rhys Rowlands described Griffiths' behaviour as "chilling at times and totally controlling."

He told him: "It seems you were not prepared to accept the relationship is over.

"You started to breach the terms [of the restraining order] almost within hours of it being imposed - that is a quite extraordinary disregard for the court's order.

"On November 7 You went to the house and assaulted the victim in front of a 12-month-old child.

"It was a very serious incident and if that wasn't enough you continued to breach the order over the following weeks."

Griffiths was jailed for 18 months.

Judge Rowlands imposed a new three-year restraining order prohibiting Griffiths from contacting Ms Jones or from entering any property occupied by her.