The pair, aged 10 and 13, told officers they were in different parts of the house when the fight began in their father’s room around midday on June 8.

The children said they heard ‘‘yelling, swearing and thumping’’ for a period of time, and at one stage heard the victim yelling ‘‘I can’t breathe, help’’.

Police documents tendered to Port Kembla Local Court during the man’s bail application on Friday reveal he and the woman were in bed together when the argument began, however both offered different explanations for its cause.

The verbal stoush soon turned physical, with both parties lashing out at each other.

The court heard the man punched the woman in the head five or six times then put his foot against her throat as she lay on the ground in an attempt to restrict her breathing.

The man then grabbed a hammer lying next to the bed and smashed a wall-mounted television, shattering the glass.

Emergency services arrived at the scene, with paramedics treating the woman for a bleeding nose and redness and swelling to her face.

She refused to give a statement to police but did allow them to take photos of her injuries before she was taken to hospital.

Officers observed scratches and bleeding on the man’s arms and the back of his neck.

The 35-year-old was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and ordered to front court a few days later but he did not show, prompting a warrant to be issued for his arrest.

He was apprehended by police on Thursday and held in custody overnight to attend court on Friday, where he sought release on bail.

Registrar Tina McKenna agreed to the request despite opposition from police, saying she believed bail conditions could be put in place to mitigate the risk he posed to society and the victim.

As part of his bail, the man must live at his home in Figtree.