A CONMAN tried to strangle a friend after tricking him out of thousands of pounds.

Euan Hoare, of Kirkheaton, was yesterday jailed for four years by a judge at Bradford Crown Court.

The court was told Hoare, 50, attacked his victim, who had become suspicious about a business deal and went to Hoare's house to try and get his money back.

Raymond Goldstrong was sitting in the kitchen when Hoare left the room saying that he was going to get his bank details.

But the father-of-one returned moments later with some washing line which he pulled tight round Mr Goldstrong's neck.

The court was told 50-year-old Mr Goldstrong desperately fought to get himself free from his attacker and managed to get his hands between the rope and his neck and stuck his fingers in Hoare's eyes.

Once free he fled to a nearby shop and the police were called.

Honorary Recorder of Bradford Judge Stephen Gullick told Hoare he could have killed Mr Goldstrong, adding that the victim will have to suffer with the memory of what happen for the rest of his life.

He said: "You got him to your house, sat him down and distracted him and then placed a piece of washing line around his neck extremely tight.

"It must have been an extremely frightening event for him."

Hoare, of Bankfield Lane, had been charged with attempted murder, but yesterday pleaded guilty to an alternative charge - attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, told the court that the two men had known each other about four years prior to the incident in January and would drink together in their local pub in Kirkheaton.

The defendant told Mr Goldstrong that he could buy houses cheaply and sell them on for huge profits.

He took the complainant to see a house in York and said that for a stake of £5,000 he could return a profit of £60,000.

"Not surprisingly he fell in with the scam, but it was a complete lie," said Mr Bradshaw.

Hoare, who was jobless at the time, later told Mr Goldstrong that he had bought the house and there was £60,000 waiting for him in a bank account, although he persuaded him to leave it in the bank for further business dealings.

But Mr Goldstrong became suspicious and it was when he asked for his money back that he was savagely attacked.

Hoare had fled to London but was arrested two days later.

The court was told he had never bought the house and there was never any money for Mr Goldstrong.

Nicholas Clark, for Hoare, said that his client, who has previous convictions for perjury and deception, was genuinely sorry for what he had done.

In a statement by his former wife, which was read to the court, Hoare was described as "caring, considerate, totally unselfish" and "the best dad in the world".

Judge Gullick told him that he had attacked a man who had done him no harm and that his family would now have to endure the sentence.

He said the activity Hoare had engaged in was extremely dangerous and could have caused more serious injuries and even death if he had persisted.