AN Aberystwyth man has been jailed after he attacked a woman in a hotel room.

Mark Dursley, 43, of of Flat 4, Orlando, Queen’s Road, beat and strangled a woman at the Four Seasons Hotel on Portland Street after asking to borrow her phone and then following her to her room, which left the victim unconscious and bleeding on the floor.

Dursley appeared before Swansea Crown Court for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, strangulation, harassment and criminal damage.

The court heard how Dursley had a history of violent offences and classified him as a dangerous offender.

The court heard how the assault happened after Dursley approached the woman outside the hotel and asked to borrow her phone's torch to find a missing bag of cannabis on 6 February.

He then followed her inside, continuing to ask for her phone before punching and kicking her in her hotel room.

The victim managed to flee to the foyer where she was assaulted again, with Dursley putting his arm around her neck and dragging her away, before pushing her to the floor.

It is believed she lay unconscious for around seven minutes before being found by a member of hotel staff.

In an impact statement, read to the court, the victim said she was now too scared to pop outside for a cigarette or to walk the 50 yards to the shops.

Dursley had threatened and harassed a neighbour the day before, Swansea Crown Court heard.

He had accused a neighbour of stealing £300, which he claimed she had spent on British Gas and McDonald’s, posting abusive comments about her on Facebook 100 times and damaging a water pipe outside her flat.

Dursley’s defence said he was aware he was facing a custodial sentence and stated he had been intoxicated during both incidents.

His abuse of alcohol and benzodiazepines were his way of coping with feelings of isolation, the court was told.

Judge Catherine Richards said Dursley was a different person when not under the influence of drink and drugs and that was something he needed to tackle.

Dursely was sentenced to 24 months in prison comprising 22 months for actual bodily harm and 14 months for strangulation, to run concurrently, and two months for harassment to run consecutively.

No separate penalty was imposed for the criminal damage. Dursley will serve up to half that sentence in custody.