A woman who was violently beaten by her ex-partner thought that he would kill her, a court has heard.

Gavin Anstey, 37, beat and strangled his ex-partner after standing on her neck in a prolonged and vicious attack. He pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm, non-fatal strangulation and criminal damage and was given the maximum prison sentence of five years.

His ex-partner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has now described how she was attacked and how she has suffered since the beating, which happened at her home in  Worthing.

In her victim personal statement, the woman said: “I was in a relationship with Gavin Anstey for two years and this time, culminating in the incident in November 2022, has had a serious toll on my physical and mental health.

“The assault in November was such a prolonged and brutal attack that it left me with both physical injuries, but also symptoms of complex PTSD.

“During the incident, Gavin would attack me, I’d catch my breath, and then he’d start another attack. It went from room to room as he threw me around my flat. The attack lasted for so long, and I didn’t have access to my phone because it went flying, that I had no way out.

“After the assault my whole body was painful and bruised. He had scrunched up my eye and held glass to it so I thought he was going to go for my eye with it.

“He had stamped on my neck with such force I couldn’t breathe and had no way out. He strangled me to the point where my family flashed before my eyes.

“After the assault I had bruises around my eyes and neck and body. As the bruises came out more over the subsequent days, I fully realised the extent of my injuries and the assault. The fact that the bruises were visible on my neck and face was horrible and to begin with I tried to hide them.

“I had headaches and pain in my eyes for weeks after the incident. I started getting migraines which were so painful that I would have to close my eyes. I had never had migraines before in my life. I went to the doctor and optician to get my eyes checked because of this pain. I still get pain in my eye now, however I do not know if this is a psychological impact of the assault.

Get more stories like this delivered to your inbox every day by signing up to our morning newsletter - don't miss out!

“Psychologically and emotionally, I was really affected by the attack. After the assault I started having suicidal thoughts and felt like I didn’t want to be here anymore. I am experiencing symptoms of complex PTSD such as flashbacks, difficulty concentrating, headaches, nightmares, and lack of sleep.

“I can’t even sit still sometimes because I am still in fight or flight mode – it feels like my mind is going at a hundred miles an hour. For example, I will be having a bath in my flat, and will suddenly feel that I have to get out because he might be in the flat.

“I have never been like this before in my life – I feel like I don’t know how to relax anymore. I am still having difficulties sleeping and have regular nightmares involving Gavin.

“My symptoms have affected my life and job, especially due to my restlessness and difficulty concentrating. Soon in my job, I will have to start being on call during the night, and I am concerned that these symptoms will make this more difficult.

“It has affected my family life because I have become short-fused, irritable and struggle to enjoy things like I used to. I almost feel lost and have feelings of emptiness and hopelessness.

“I am suffering from depression and often felt like there was no hope anymore. I am still experiencing all these symptoms and am getting counselling for this.

"When I was in a relationship with Gavin, we were walking outside and he told me that he wasn’t allowed on a road because his ex-partner, who he was accused of assaulting, lived there.

“He then proceeded to go down that road and laugh about it which to me demonstrates his disregard for the law, and that he will have no qualms about breaching any conditions placed upon him.

“I am aware of Gavin’s history of domestic abuse, and I believe that he will continue his pattern of behaviour if allowed to. He is a risk to both me, any past or future partners, and the public as I have seen him try to fight my neighbour who has a young daughter.

“His behaviour is erratic and he is a regular alcohol and drug user, which makes him even more unpredictable and I am afraid that in a fit of rage he will come and hurt me.

“I am also afraid for my family as he knows where they live, and I wouldn’t feel safe going to theirs. I have a young nephew and niece who visit me, but I will no longer feel safe in allowing this.

"During the attack, he kept repeating that he wanted to kill me. He said 'I will happily go down for 20 years to kill you', and 'I can’t describe how much I want to f****** kill you'. I do believe that he will want revenge and he will want to come and seriously hurt me or even kill me. Gavin knows where I live, and I do think I will have to move address when he is released."