Eddie Neilson, pictured handing over a trophy to his son GarryTHE son of boxer Eddie Neilson has been jailed for nine months after he attacked his girlfriend during a failed suicide bid.

Garry Neilson, 37, had taken an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol before launching the attack on Juliet Mitchell.

Stacey Turner, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Neilson's family received a phone call shortly before 11pm on Monday, January 3.

It said that the defendant had taken an overdose and was going to drive into a bridge so Neilson's father drove around the area looking for him.

Meanwhile his girlfriend went to his flat to see if he was there and he turned up shortly after at about 1.30am.

Witnesses then told of seeing Neilson attacking Miss Mitchell, dragging her to his car and trying to force her into it against her will.

They saw her head hit the car a number of times and Neilson rugby tackle her to the ground, and they heard her screaming.

"However she managed to get away and called her mother-in-law and said she was hurt and hiding under a van in the road. From there the defendant's father found her," she said.

He told police she was in dishevelled state with blood on her face and was taken to hospital where a cut to her mouth was sutured.

She also suffered bruising to her skull, abrasions to the forearm and a fractured index finger.

When he was questioned by police Neilson admitted immediately what he had done. Miss Turner said that Miss Mitchell had withdrawn her complaint but Wiltshire Crown Prosecution policy was to continue with matters of domestic violence.

Neilson, of Saltash Road, pleaded guilty to a charge of actual bodily harm.

Robin Shellard, defending, said that his client was full of remorse for what he had done.

He said that 2004 and had been a bad year for him after his marriage to his childhood sweetheart broke down and he was made bankrupt after his business collapsed.

"At heart Garry Neilson is a hard-working man, a man who loves his family deeply and feels great shame at what happened in January this year," he said.

Jailing him, Judge Tom Longbotham said: "You, a very big man far larger than your partner, engaged in violence towards her.

"She was found cowering or hiding under a car, she had attempted to get away from you initially without success.

"Any violence, whatever label you put on it be it domestic violence or any violence, will not be tolerated by the court."

Gareth Bethell