Eric Anthony Delonais, 36, Minot, is charged in district court in Ward County with Class C felony domestic violence causing serious bodily injury and is accused of strangling a woman and slamming her into a window frame.

Delonais made an initial appearance on the charge on Wednesday before Judge Gary Lee and claimed the alleged victim got mad at him and called the police out of vindictiveness.

Ward County Assistant State’s Attorney Breezy Schmidt told the judge that police reported seeing petechiae – broken blood vessels – on the alleged victim.

“That’s not something we see in an average strangulation case,” Schmidt told Judge Lee.

“What’s that mean?” Delonais asked the judge.

“It means it was a pretty severe attack,” said Judge Lee.

“I did not attack her, sir,” Delonais protested. “That’s a lie.”

Delonais has a prior conviction for domestic violence. He is also on probation following a terrorizing conviction, involving the same alleged victim, earlier this year. For that offense, Judge Stacy Louser sentenced him in March to a year and a day in jail, all suspended but the 30 days he had earlier served. The state dismissed felony domestic violence with intent to cause serious bodily injury and felony interference with a telephone call charges against him under the terms of a plea deal. On Wednesday, Delonais told Judge Lee that he is working and is supposed to start a class for domestic violence offenders next week.

Lee set bond at $5,000 cash or corporate surety, ordered Delonais to have no contact with the alleged victim, and set a preliminary hearing for July 28.