A Buchanan man who strangled his girlfriend to the point of her passing out twice in one night will spend time in Berrien County Jail.

Jamie Edward Kraynak, 29, was sentenced Monday in Berrien County Trial Court in Niles to 150 days in jail and two years on probation on one felony count of attempted assault by strangulation.

He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim as part of the terms of his probation.

According to court documents, police responded to a report of a domestic dispute in the 300 block of Elizabeth Street in Buchanan in the early morning hours of Aug. 10.

There, police spoke to the victim, a female who said her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Kraynak, had choked her twice and threw her on the bed.

Defense attorney Albert Mays said alcohol played a huge role in negatively affecting his client’s actions that night. Kraynak registered a blood alcohol level of .139 even though he had stopped drinking hours before the test was administered, Mays said.

“It made him lose all sense of judgment,” Mays said. “Hopefully this will be the key that opens the door to sobriety for him.”

Judge Dennis Wiley, who handed down the sentence, said Kraynak’s behavior was not acceptable sober or intoxicated.

“What is of concern to me in addition to your alcohol problem is your violent behavior on this occasion,” Wiley said. “If you don’t deal with your alcohol problem I assure you we will.”

After serving 150 days in jail, Kraynak must serve an additional 90 days on Michigan Department of Corrections Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM), which provides 24/7 monitoring of alcohol use.