A MAN who held a knife to the throat his partner after going out to a party on Valentine’s weekend has been jailed for three years.

After Oliver Sheppard first put the blade to the terrified woman’s neck he told her "That’s not sharp" and went off to get a sharpener.

The 29-year-old, who has a history of violence against the victim, had ripped her nightdress and seized her by the throat in an argument. She struggled to breath and used all her strength to push him off

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the couple had been in an on off relationship and went to a party on Saturday February 16.

After going to the Polish Club on Whitbourne Avenue they went to the town centre leaving The Casbah in the early hours and getting back to her home at about 2.30am.

They had picked up a crate of beer from a garage on the way and after he started drinking it the pair resumed arguing.

It was then that the attack began.

She asked him to leave her home, which he refused to do, and when he left the room she managed to make a 999 call in which she was reluctant to speak to the operator.

Mr Meeke explained: “She was afraid he would get angry or violence again if he realised she was calling the police.”

Soon after he came back in to the living room armed with a knife and then pinned her down on the sofa, putting the knife to her throat.

“She really thought that he would kill her,” Mr Meeke told the court.

Sheppard then decided the knife was blunt and left the living room to go to the kitchen. When he returned soon after he had the knife and a sharpener. He told her: "I’ll stab you."

Rubbing the blade against his throat he said: "That’s sharp, that’s sharp," before leaving the room once again. The woman used his absence to again call the police again and her attacker left the house when she told him a neighbour could have dialled 999.

By the time he returned police officers were there and he was arrested, making no comment when he was questioned.

Sheppard, of Holbein Avenue, Grange Park, pleaded guilty to threats to kill and common assault.

The court heard he was convicted of assaulting the same woman in 2015 and 2016, and a restraining order had been imposed, which ended in December 2017.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client clearly had issues facing up to what he had done and accepted he is facing a lengthy jail term.

When he is released he said he hoped to go back to his job as a roofer and tackle his drinking as it seems to act as a disinhibitor.

Jailing him Judge Peter Crabtree said “She described what happened to her on February 17 as the most frightening experience in her life and thought you were going to kill her.”

Sheppard was again made subject to an order banning him from contacting the victim.