A 25-year-old Norfolk man has been sentenced to a total of 10-to-19 years in prison on several charges related to the assault of his then girlfriend.

Erich Droescher was convicted in Madison County District Court of terroristic threats, second-degree domestic assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

His victim, a 28-year-old woman from Norfolk, told the judge during sentencing that Droescher choked her, pulled hair out of her head and stuffed a blanket down her throat.

She says the ordeal last October lasted six hours before she escaped to a neighbor's house.

Judge James Kube says what Droescher did was "animalistic."

Droescher says he assaulted his girlfriend after finding out she had been lying to him and cheating on him.