A MAN squeezed a woman's neck until she passed out hours after he was released from prison, a court heard.

Anthony Garth Campbell, 36, of Newberry Road, Weymouth, admitted one charge of assault and another of assaulting a police constable in the line of duty.

Prosecutor Joanna Morrissey said that Campbell was released from prison on April 18 and had arranged to meet Lindsay Hodie who he had met before going to prison.

Miss Morrissey said: "They had a drink in Barracuda in Weymouth before going to a supermarket and buying alcohol and returning to Ms Hodie's flat.

When they got back Campbell poured himself a large vodka drink and Ms Hodie became concerned that he had had too much to drink and asked him to leave and called a taxi, the court heard.

Miss Morrisey said: "She went to go outside for a cigarette and when she turned round she said he grabbed her by the throat and squeezed so hard that she passed out.

"When Ms Hodie woke up she was laying against the wall in her bedroom and she crawled into the bathroom and called the police," Miss Morrisey added.

The police arrived and when Campbell was being put into the police car he kicked an officer in the head.

Dorchester Crown Court heard how Campbell, a father of three, already had 23 convictions for 48 separate offences starting in 1983.

The offences included robbery, possessing a firearm, burglary, possession of Class A drugs, theft, failing to surrender, handling stolen goods and assault.

He was jailed earlier this year for three months for assault and using threatening behaviour.

In mitigation, Peter Spink said the defendant was 'disgusted with himself' for not only committing an offence on the first day he was released from prison but for inflicting violence on a woman.

Mr Spink said that Campbell had an addiction to alcohol, for which he was seeking treatment and that he had 'no recollection of the evening'.

Judge Jarvis jailed Campbell for 17 months and told him: "This is a particularly serious offence because you had just left prison and the character of the assault when you grabbed her by the throat until she passed out."