A Taunton man who strangled a woman and attacked a child has been spared immediate imprisonment — despite the judge describing the impact on his victims as the worst he had read about in an assault case.

Ross Bishop, 40, of St Patrick’s Road, Taunton, received a 13-month prison sentence suspended for two years at Taunton Crown Court

He admitted intentionally strangling a woman, assaulting her by beating and assaulting a child by beating. The offences happened on August 27, 2025.

Prosecutor Paul Grumbar described Bishop as possessive and argumentative. The court heard he had been drinking heavily at the White Hart pub before the woman drove them away.

After stopping at Costcutter, Bishop emerged with more alcohol. The woman drove off without him, prompting him to run down the road shouting abuse.

The court also heard Bishop put a child in a chokehold after the child kicked him between the legs. The woman screamed at him to stop.

She later escaped with the child when Bishop went back inside the house. Neighbours called police.

Bishop initially denied the allegations, claiming the woman’s injuries were self-inflicted and that he had struck her face accidentally.

The prosecution said the child had been severely affected.

The judge said strangulation should almost always result in immediate custody. He described the impact on the victims as the “most severe I have read for an assault.”

Despite that assessment, Bishop’s sentence was suspended, allowing him to avoid immediate jail.