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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife man who beat his common-law spouse with a phone and earlier threatened to put her in the hospital was given nine months in jail on Feb. 19.

The 30-year-old man pleaded guilty to one count each of assault with a weapon and uttering threats.

Crown prosecutor Maryse Nassar told the court the RCMP found the victim "covered in blood outside" after arriving at a Yellowknife residence on Oct. 29, 2008.

Nassar said the man had jumped on his spouse with his knees, hit her eight to nine times and hit her with a phone in the nose. She asked to leave and he told her to get her clothes off and get in the bathtub.

According to the Crown, the woman pretended to clean up blood in the kitchen and escaped to alert police.

The children were in a bedroom and reportedly did not see the assault.

The previous day the man had told the victim over the phone he would "put her in the hospital when he next sees her," said Nassar.

The victim, who was in the courtroom on Feb. 19, had written a letter of support requesting her attacker not spend time in jail.

"(The spouse) does appear to be quite supportive," said defence attorney Jay Bran.

The Crown requested four to six months in jail, which Chief Judge Brian Bruser described as "dangerously inadequate."

Bruser said the man's criminal record "disturbs me" and added he had assaulted a previous spouse on two occasions.

"I'm very sorry for what happened that night," said the accused.

He said he had previously been sober for four months but "slipped."

"Each offence I find to be grave," said Bruser.

The man was sentenced to three months jail for uttering threats and six months for assault with a weapon. He was also ordered to submit to a DNA order, a five-year firearms ban and one year of probation.