A WOMAN stuffed a pair of socks down her mother’s throat and strangled her during a terrifying alcohol-fuelled attack.

Joanne O’Donohugh from Newport barged into her mum’s flat after becoming upset at a setback in her personal life linked to her drinking.

The attack began after the defendant took her mother to the floor.

Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court: “She straddled the victim's chest and sat on her.

“She placed her hands around the victim's neck and squeezed hard, hard enough to prevent her from being able to breathe.

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“While struggling to speak, the victim was able to say she could not breathe, but the defendant simply responded, ‘Good’.

“As the victim opened her mouth as wide as possible in order to take oxygen, the defendant pushed a rolled-up pair of socks into her mouth and blocked her airways.”

Mr Gobir added: “The victim was able to rotate her hips away from the defendant in order to face away from her.

“This loosened the defendant’s grip and the victim was able to spit out the socks.

“She estimates she was unable to breathe for about 10 seconds and she thought she was going to die.”

O’Donohugh, 40, of Bessemer Drive pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, intentional suffocation and assault by beating.

The offences took place at around 3.30pm on Thursday, November 16 last year.

The defendant has one previous conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm for which she received a suspended prison sentence at Hull Crown Court in 2008.

Nicholas Gedge, representing her, said: “This is a tragic case and they had been very close.

“She’s thoroughly ashamed of what she did and her remorse is genuine.

“The defendant describes herself as being completely overwhelmed because of what was happening in her personal life.”

O’Donohugh had served the equivalent of a five-month jail sentence after being held on remand at Eastwood Park Prison since appearing at the magistrates’ court.

She realises she has a problem with drink, Mr Gedge added, and has worked with the Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service and Alcoholics Anonymous.

The defendant is “an intelligent woman” who is a university graduate.

The judge, Recorder David Elias KC, told her: “This was an attack on your mother in her own home and when you had been drinking.

“It must have been an incredibly frightening experience for her.”

O’Donohugh was jailed for 15 months but that sentence was suspended for 18 months.

She was made the subject of an alcohol treatment requirement for nine months and a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

The defendant will also have to pay a £187 victim surcharge.