A Perth man who strangled his ex-girlfriend unconscious in front of her own home and told police that “she’s lucky I didn’t finish the job” has been sentenced to 16 years for his abhorrent crime.

A Supreme Court judge on Thursday labelled the brutal attack a “deliberate and persistent act of violence” and was satisfied the man was “determined to kill her.”

It happened in February 2024 but the court had heard sinister stalking of the woman known to him started months before.

He sent a barrage of “highly abusive” and “intimidating” messages, with more than 230 texts and calls in just three days.

Some of these were: “You’re dead to me” and “I would have killed myself already but my hatred for you is keeping me alive.”

The day before the attack, he had spent eight hours waiting outside the woman’s apartment block.

During sentencing on Thursday, the judge hailed a pair of bystanders for their efforts in stopping the attack but was critical of the way the woman’s desperate call to triple-0 was handled, saying the operator provided no assistance when the woman needed it most.

Outside court, Police on Thursday described the response as appropriate and timely.

The attacker — who can’t be identified for legal reasons — will be eligible for parole in 12 years.