Former NFL defensive end Hugh Douglas has avoided a prison sentence after pleading no contest to a misdemeanour breach of peace charge.

Douglas was charged with felony assault and strangulation following an alleged incident with his girlfriend that took place at a Hartford hotel last September.

Police claimed that the 42-year-old grabbed his girlfriend by the neck and slammed her against the walls of the hotel, but a defence lawyer argued that the woman in question had changed her story.

Douglas eventually received a suspended sentence of six months in prison following Monday's case at Hartford Superior Court.

The former Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars man spent 10 seasons in the NFL between 1995 and 2004, having been selected as a first-round Draft pick by the New York Jets.

He went on to be named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1995 and was selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls and two All-Pros.