A HEREFORD man who attacked an epileptic teenager while she was home alone has escaped a jail sentence.

Hereford Crown Court heard how 18-year-old Kelvin Preece, of Willow Grove, Hinton, “flipped” when he discovered his 16-year-old ex was seeing someone else shortly after the couple broke up.

The court was told that the forest worker had already assaulted her five days before he went to pick up his phone charger from her house on April 10, because she ended the relationship, but she escaped unhurt.

This time, however, prosecutor Charles Hardy said the victim thought she might die when Preece grabbed her by the throat and pushed her onto her bed, because she couldn’t breathe properly and thought she might have a fit.

Preece was arrested and charged with one count of actual bodily harm and one of assault by beating.

He admitted to police he had “lashed out” and held her by the neck for five seconds, but said he immediately regretted it.

Defending, Simon Rippon said the defendant had since apologised and accepted his behaviour was unacceptable.

He said Preece had problems thinking things through because of an attention disorder and psychological difficulties “the depths of which haven’t really been plumbed yet”.

Mr Rippon suggested the best outcome would be for him get counselling.

Preece pleaded guilty to both counts and was given a two-year community order and told to pay his victim £300 in compensation and £300 court costs.

He must also complete 100 hours of community service and will remain at home under curfew between 8pm and 6am for four months.

Passing sentence, Recorder David Chinery said he was confident Preece was not a danger to the public but he needed him to understand how close he had come to a custodial sentence.