A failed asylum seeker who admitted throttling his partner in a fit of rage has a string of convictions for violence and passport fraud, it emerged in court this week.

Mehluli Sibanda was living in Gravesend – despite being told he should be deported – when he viciously attacked his girlfriend .

Zimbabwean Sibanda, 39, of Parrock Street, flew into a temper after getting into an argument with Nosipho Kondowe when she became upset at him calling her by his previous girlfriend’s name.

As Ms Kondowe accused him of still seeing the other woman he got angry and started to attack her. She tried to call the police but he grabbed the phone and pushed her to the floor and started hitting her.

He then threw her on to a sofa and started to strangle her until she almost passed out, the court heard.
Later when she gave statements to police she told them she believed he was going to kill her.

Sibanda eventually let go of his grip and then told her to take her clothes off and get into bed.

He started touching her but she told him to stop, he did so, and Ms Kondowe fled with some of her belongings.

She called the police and Sibanda was arrested and initially charged with assault causing actual bodily harm.

However, when he appeared before magistrates in Medway the charge was downgraded to common assault, which he admitted.

Magistrates also heard Sibanda, a Zimbabwean, who is trying to appeal against his failed asylum situation, had 11 convictions for 27 different offences - all committed in this country, where he has been since at least 2008.

Lorraine Synmoir, prosecuting at Medway Magistrates’ Court, said: “He was getting in her face and she was scared at the level of aggression.

“He threw her phone and then pulled her by the shirt and pushed her to the floor. She was begging him to stop.

“He hits her face and then grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her on the sofa.

“He climbs on top of her and grabs her by the throat and she has trouble breathing and almost passes out.”

“He was getting in her face and she was scared at the level of aggression" - Lorraine Synmoir

Ms Synmoir also told the court that during the attack, Ms Kondowe suffered red marks on her neck, a scratch near her eye and bruising.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing to allow a pre-sentence report to be compiled. He was granted bail on the condition he wear a tag and be placed under curfew until his next appearance.

He also has to report to police three times a week until his sentencing at the same court on September 11.