A DRINKER throttled his partner and attacked a man waiting for a bus in prolonged late night street violence, York Magistrates' Court heard.

Residents in Haxby Road heard the woman screaming and yelling "Call the police he's just tried to strangle me," at 11pm on June 27, said Kathryn Walters, prosecuting.

Jack Rice, 24, hit her to the ground more than once during the incident that lasted several minutes.

It included grabbing her by the throat when she ran to a primary school gates and tried to hide, and using her bag to swing her round, said Mrs Walter.

Then, he attacked a stranger standing by a nearby bus stop on Haxby Road, hitting him several times, damaging his teeth and knocking him to the ground.

The stranger believed at one point he blacked out. He was later treated at hospital for concussion.

"He did nothing to provoke (Rice), he didn't get involved or say anything when he (Rice) was fighting the female," said Mrs Walters.

The stranger suffered bruising and other injuries.

The woman refused to co-operate with police on June 27 when they arrived.

Defence solicitor Sonia Bhalla said of Rice: "When alcohol gets into his system, he turns into a bit of a monster."

At the time of the attack, Rice had been going through a very difficult period because he had provided evidence against the man who had abused him, the court heard.

Rice and the woman were still in a relationship and wanted it to succeed, said Ms Bhalla.

"He is grateful he has been given a new chance at it because he simply doesn't deserve it."

Rice, of Byland Avenue, off Huntington Road, York, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm to the man, assaulting his partner and resisting police, all committed on June 27.

He has been on a two-year community order since September for two other assaults of his partner and criminal damage committed after the incident in Haxby Road, which he had also admitted.

After hearing a probation report that Rice is doing well on the order and has complied with a tag forcing him not to drink alcohol for 120 days, district judge Adrian Lower extended the community order until January 2024 and ordered that by then Rice does 20 days' rehabilitative activities, a 33-day rehabilitative programme for those who commit domestic violence and 170 hours' unpaid work.

He also ordered Rice to pay £150 compensation to the man by the bus stop, a £90 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

"I hope you can find it within yourself to put drink behind you because drink is obviously the reason you have been behaving in this way," the district judge told Rice.

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