A soldier with a "distinguished career" broke his girlfriend's neck after flying into a rage during an argument at his home.
Stephen Williams tipped his partner Katherine Wilson out of bed when she decided to sleep in the spare room.
Later, he grabbed her by the throat and threw her to the floor, which caused her to smack her head on the bed frame.
Ms Wilson heard a large cracking sound of her neck, and felt "incredible and immediate pain," which left her fearing the worst.
When informing Williams, at his home in Hunts Cross, that she thought her neck was broken, the serviceman told her: "F** off, don't be stupid."
The 38-year-old advised she instead take painkillers and then lie on the bed, before agreeing to drive Ms Wilson to hospital on August 8.
Liverpool Crown Court she had sustained a hyper-extension injury to her neck, or broken neck, referred to by prosecutors as a "hangman's fracture."
The injury meant Ms Wilson had to wear a halo around her neck for five months, leaving her unable to hardly move her head, unable to drive, work, or perform simple tasks by herself like getting washed or going to the toilet.
One month before the attack, Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, told had Williams had similarly grabbed his girlfriend by the throat, for a few seconds, before leaving the address.
The court heard how, on August 8, the couple had been at his parents' home for dinner when a suggestion emerged during the evening he had told a lie.
An argument began and Ms Wilson decided to sleep in his spare bedroom, throwing a pillow towards the door, leading to accusations from him she was blocking his way inside.
Williams, of Alderman Road, hit her over the head with the pillow before he again returned to the room, lifting the bed up to tip her out.
Mr Hopkins said the argument continued and his girlfriend decided to leave and called a taxi before he tried to enter the room again, as she barred the way, grabbing at her, which prompted her, while "terrified," to try and bite his finger to "get him to stop."
The door was opened and then slammed shut as she packed her belongings and as Williams was shouting at her, she threw his watch on the floor.
This triggered the soldier to grab her throat and throw her to the floor, causing the serious injury as her head smacked into the bed frame.
Today, at Liverpool Crown Court, the serviceman, with 20 years "exemplary" service" was jailed after admitting causing grievous bodily harm.
His barrister Charles Lander urged Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, to suspend the sentence, but he told him: "I would be failing in my public duty and my responsibility to Katherine Wilson if I didn't mark this with a custodial sentence."
Williams was jailed for 14 months, of which he will serve half.
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Ms Wilson's fracture was said to be 80 per cent healed, and she was likely to make a full recovery, but Judge Flewitt described her ordeal as "horrendous."
In a Victim Personal Statement, she told of "extreme feelings of anxiety, panic and depression" and "reoccurring nightmares."
The mum of twins said she felt "vulnerable in her own home" and had been "made to feel stupid" with people asking questions about why she was wearing the halo.
It was heard how Williams has previous convictions for battery, but not in a domestic violence context, and had shown "genuine remorse," his barrister said.
He had spent 20 years in the Army "at the height of military operations" and worked with the SAS, the lawyer added.
Judge Flewitt described Williams' initial response to his girlfriend's injury as "totally unsympathetic", referring to him quizzing Ms Wilson on their drive to hospital about what she was intending to tell medics on their arrival.
He said: "It [the injury] effectively imprisoned her for the past five months, as she was totally unable to move her head, couldn't look up or down, go to the toilet, or get washed on her own.
"She was unable to drive, unable to work, and was stripped of her independence."
A restraining order was imposed for five years as Judge Flewitt voiced a view that he hoped the Army would show leniency and not discharge him when an independent tribunal takes place about his future career.
