A MAN attacked his ex-partner’s new boyfriend following a drunken row as he was celebrating his 40th birthday, a court has heard.

Jason George Henriques pleaded guilty to assaulting Samuel Hill at Drefach Felindre on 19 March after an argument broke out after he had been drinking.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said Henriques, now living at 37 Brooklyn Avenue in Birmingham, had gone to his former partner’s home where she was with her new partner Mr Hill.

Henriques was described as “civil but drunk” and there had been no problem, but Henriques then went out to get more alcohol before returning. He offered Mr Hill a drink, but Mr Hill wasn’t feeling well so went to the bedroom. Henriques followed him and started swinging punches, but failed to connect with any of them. Henriques, who was shouting that he was going to kill Mr Hill, then grabbed Mr Hill around the neck, but Mr Hill was able to stop him.

Henriques said he wanted to speak to his ex-partner alone, which Mr Hill agreed to, but when he went into the living room he saw her throwing Henriques’s stuff out before locking him out.

However, Henriques got back into the property by climbing through an open window, and Mr Hill warned that he would phone the police, which he started to do before Henriques grabbed the phone. Police, though, arrived shortly afterwards and arrested Henriques.

Defence solicitor David Williams said Henriques had gone to his former partner’s home to see his child and her children as part of his birthday.

He said Henriques and Hill were long-term friends and that there had been no problem until a row flared up in the evening which Mr Williams said had been fuelled by alcohol.

Henriques has since moved back to the Midlands, where he is from, and was not intending to return to the area. Magistrates fined Henriques £80, and he must pay costs of £105.