A man who slashed his girlfriend's throat with a bread knife has been told to expect a lengthy spell in jail.

Ian McQuaide, 27, was initially charged with attempting to murder Janet Gadsby at a home in Herne Bay on September 5 last year.

But following his arrest McQuaide, of Forrester Close in Canterbury, denied attempting to kill her at the property in Central Parade.

Yet on the day of trial at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday, moments before a jury was due to be sworn, he pleaded guilty to the lesser alternative charge of wounding with intent.

The court heard McQuaide inflicted her injuries with "a very sharp bread knife", before 8am on that day.

The attack sparked a huge emergency services response, with police and forensic officers still working at the scene near Market Street Car Park days afterwards.

McQuaide was originally charged with attempted murder, controlling or coercive behaviour in a relationship, assault, making threats to kill and causing grievous bodily harm.

But the prosecution on Tuesday offered no evidence for attempted murder and McQuaide was found not guilty.

He also pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour between October 2020 and September 2022, with the remaining charges to lie on file.

Ordering reports into potential dangerousness, Judge Simon James adjourned sentencing until June 29. The maximum sentence for wounding with intent is life imprisonment.

He told McQuaide, who wore a black T-Shirt in court: “The only possible sentence is an immediate sentence of imprisonment, likely for some length.”

The judge remanded McQuaide into custody and urged him to be honest and open with probation officers.

"If you do not cooperate with the report you will be sentenced without one, and the court will have to make assumptions against your better interest,” he explained.

The prosecutor told Judge James "the plea to (wounding with intent) is acceptable in all of the circumstances, and the crown will be offering no evidence for (attempted murder)".

Time spent on remand will be deducted from his overall sentence.