A woman was left terrified for her life after a man she had been dating launched a savage attack on her in his flat. Nicole Hollinshead, 26, recounted the harrowing ordeal that occurred at Jordan McMahon's Brinnington, Stockport residence on September 29 last year, following what started as a date night. Jordan, who has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, admitted to causing grievous bodily harm. He was taken into custody on the same night of the brutal assault.

Determined to turn her traumatic experience into a call to action, Nicole is now encouraging other domestic violence sufferers to come forward. Speaking to the MEN, Nicole described the chilling events: "One night we had been to the pub and I'd agreed to stay at his. We came back and that was when he turned and unleashed this attack on me. We had just been casually dating and getting to know one another. It was supposed to be the honeymoon period and we had been on a few dates.

"When we got back, he started to accuse me of cheating on him and looking at other men. Then he completely snapped. He began beating me to the point where there were so many blows that I just saw black flashes in my eyes and couldn't feel anything.", reports the Liverpool Echo.

"All I remember was being on the floor in the foetal position. He was stomping on me and kicking me. I was screaming and begging for him to stop. He got on top of me and began to strangle me. He had his hands around my neck, was looking into my eyes and I thought I was going to die. It just came from nowhere. I thought we'd had a good evening. I really believed he was going to kill me. He was staring into my eyes - like he was looking through me.

"He had bust my nose open and there was that much blood that he lost his grip, and I threw him off me and ran out of the house. I was banging on every window for help because I thought he was going to come after me." Nicole recounted the police were already en route as a result of a neighbour downstairs who overheard her cries for assistance. It is alleged that Nicole's frantic pleas for help could be discerned in the background of the emergency call.

McMahon, father to four, found himself quickly apprehended and taken into custody. At the time, he faced charges that included causing grievous bodily harm with intent under s18, non-fatal strangulation, illegal possession of a weapon, and cocaine possession.

Yet, in a turn of events this February, before the trial began, the 27 year old opted to plead guilty to the reduced charge of s20 GBH, which was subsequently accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. The lesser charge holds a maximum sentence of five years. He also entered guilty pleas for non-fatal strangulation, carrying an offensive weapon, and cocaine possession.

On April 11 at Manchester Crown Court, he was handed a 32-month jail sentence, and Nicole was granted a five-year restraining order for her protection. Despite the court's ruling, Nicole expressed that she doesn't believe justice has been fully achieved and is determined to use her ordeal as a means to encourage other domestic violence victims to come forward.

Speaking about the torment she endured, Nicole declared: "Getting my message out there has helped me feel so much stronger, because I didn't see a way out. I have so many amazing people around me. Jordan just completely love-bombed me."

She recounted the initial phase of her relationship, saying: "I had no idea and there were no signs of him being violent at first. If anything, he was a little too obsessed with me, but I didn't see it at the time. We had been out for walks. Been on dates. I'd helped put food in his fridge."

Opening up about her initial shame and her journey to empowerment, Nicole stated: "At first I was so ashamed. But I am not scared anymore. The police have done everything in their power, but the justice system for this type of crime is not good enough. I want this to be out there because he is dangerous and a threat to public. I am not keeping quiet and taking this lying down. I feel empowered."

She criticized the legal outcome, saying: "The CPS allowed him to lower his charges, which I objected to. To only get that prison sentence means he will be out to do this again. He is evil." In defense of their decision, the CPS asserted that accepting his guilty plea to the offence of grievous bodily harm under s20 was consistent "in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors."

Prosecutors "carefully considered" the sentencing guidelines and determined that the sentencing powers for a s20 grievous bodily harm offence would be suitable to "allow the court to consider the very serious and sustained nature of the violence inflicted upon the victim in a domestic setting." Before agreeing to a lesser plea, the prosecution is tasked with ensuring that the plea captures the gravity and scope of the criminal conduct and empowers the court to impose an apt sentence along with relevant post-conviction orders.

In a statement, a CPS spokesperson declared: "This was a vicious domestic assault, and we commend the victim for supporting the prosecution. We considered this case very carefully and when the defendant offered an alternative guilty plea of grievous bodily harm, we concluded this offence would allow the court sufficient powers to hand down a punishment which reflected the seriousness of the crime.

"McMahon has now been sentenced to more than two and a half years behind bars, and we also secured a five-year restraining order to protect the victim from further harm. We recognise the lasting impact of domestic abuse and have written to the victim to fully explain our decision-making in this case."