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These 11 thugs put their hands around their victim's necks and squeezed in attacks that left many of them fearing for their lives. In recent months, the attackers - many of whom targeted partners, friends and family members - were convicted of intentional strangulation.
Violent son, Kane Walker, strangled his mother until she was "struggling to breathe" over a £250 dispute. Gareth Evans was fuelled with drink when he attacked an old friend who was offering him somewhere to stay.
Intentional strangulation was introduced as an offence under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and came into force on 7 June 2022. Scroll down to read the stories of these 11 attackers.
Christopher Storey
This jealous partner choked his girlfriend and threw a glass in her face. Storey became enraged because other men at a party in Redcar had previously 'asked her out'.
Adrian Strong, prosecuting at the sentencing hearing in March, said he questioned her 'relentlessly' about her admirers as they made their way home on April 27, last year. He said Storey, 41, of Simpson Close, South Bank, Middlesbrough, became violent when they were in her bedroom, even though her children were also in the house. Mr Strong said: "The defendant jumped on the bed and began strangling her.
"He placed both hands on her throat, choking her. She described how she was unable to speak and her breathing was affected. She started to panic. The defendant continued to shout while he strangled her."
The court was told the women managed to free herself and Storey began punching himself in the head. His victim told police he said: 'There is a train somewhere with my name on it', which she took to mean he would kill himself if she reported him for attacking her, the Middlesbrough court heard.
In a later incident, he threw an empty glass at the woman's face while they were at the pub, leaving her with a cut above her lip and a bruised face. Storey pleaded guilty to three charges: intentional strangulation, unlawful wounding, and harassment.
Judge Francis Clews sentenced him to a total of two years imprisonment and made him the subject of a ten-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim.
'This is a sorry tale': Jealous brute strangled girlfriend and threw glass at her face
Christopher Cooper
The vicious thug became paranoid after taking cocaine and savagely attacked his drinking partner. Cooper, 36, grabbed his friend by the throat, convincing himself someone was coming to 'bray' him.
He choked the man before launching a brutal attack that left his victim with a fractured cheekbone, a cut above the eye, and bruising to the chest. Jon Harley, prosecuting, said Cooper, of Micklow Close, Redcar, accused his friend of getting someone to come over 'to bray him'.
He said: "He thought the defendant was joking but realised that wasn't the case when the defendant grabbed him by the throat and choked him. He dropped to the floor, and the defendant punched him to the head and body with force, sufficient to smash his glasses. He called out for the defendant to stop during the attack."
The court heard Cooper stopped abruptly, after 'what felt like 20 minutes', and walked out of the flat. His victim went to the hospital and was treated for fractures to the right cheekbone, swelling, a cut above the right eye, and bruising to the chest.
He pleaded guilty to a single charge of GBH with intent on the day of the trial. Cooper was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, with a three-year extended licence period.
Paranoid thug broke friend's cheek fearing someone was coming 'to bray him'
Gareth Evans
The drink-fuelled brute, who had been given somewhere to stay by an old friend, launched an horrific attack on her. Evans, 48, put his victim in a chokehold in the early hours of the morning after a night of drinking.
When the victim said that she has asthma and couldn't breath, Evans told her: "I know you can't breath, you stupid b****, I'm going to kill you." As the woman broke free, Evans punched her. She fled her Hartlepool home and called the police from a phone box, shortly before 4am on October 6 last year.
Teesside Crown Court has heard that the victim had known Evans, who was homeless, for a long time and, after she offered him accommodation, the arrangement blossomed into a relationship. But the two had only been together for four weeks when Evans launched the violent attack.
Evans has three previous convictions for domestic violence and others for assaulting police officers and criminal damage. In 2014 he was convicted of a wounding offence, where he used a knife on his victim.
Jailing Evans for 30-months, Judge Francis Laird told him: "It is clear to me that you have a significant problem with controlling your temper whilst in drink. You attacked your victim in her own bedroom. You strangled her. You punched her and you threatened to kill her. It must have been a terrifying experience for her to endure."
The judge granted an indefinite restraining order prohibiting Evans from contacting his victim.
Violent boyfriend put woman in chokehold and punched her after she told him to sleep on sofa Matthew Hindhaugh
The chastity belt wearing sexual predator told a girl to 'shh' as he unzipped his trousers in a sickening kidnap plot. Hindhaugh was jailed for 16 years on Friday, June 6 after admitting to targeting the girl as she was walking in February.
The 22-year-old claimed he was trying to help the victim who he said had fallen over and hurt her face - but overwhelming CCTV evidence, exhibits and witness statements proved otherwise.
The brave victim recalled how Hindhaugh approached her in Rowan Place, in Newton Aycliffe, and punched her in the face before putting his hands over her mouth and telling her to 'shh'. He then forced her into his house and onto his bed where he held her down and started to unzip his trousers.
The quick-thinking teenager told Hindhaugh that she wouldn't tell anyone what had happened if he let her go. This gave the girl a few seconds which she seized and ran out of the property leaving one shoe behind as she fled to a nearby address where she raised the alarm.
Officers promptly arrested Hindhaugh and despite protesting his innocence, the victim's shoe was located on the stairs as well as other evidence linking him to the incident. Hindhaugh, of Newton Aycliffe, pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to kidnap, kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, intentional strangulation, and possession of an offensive weapon.
He also pleaded guilty to another three charges of making hundreds of indecent images of children from 2015 to 2024. Hindhaugh was remanded into custody and at Durham Crown Court, he was jailed for 16 years.
Chastity belt wearing predator with 'rape list' told girl to 'shh' as he unzipped trousers
Kane Walker
The violent son strangled his mother until she was "struggling to breathe" over a £250 dispute. Walker "lost control", grabbing his mother's neck and squeezed tightly until she felt "dizzy and lightheaded" at her Stockton home.
The 20-year-old launched the vile attack after threatening to 'stab her up' over a row that she owed his dad money, Teesside Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Christopher Dunn outlined the "difficult relationship" between the mother and son and how Walker would "often demand money from her.
The Middlesbrough court heard how Walker could be "abusive and violent" towards his mother. On February 17, Walker threatened his mother on the phone alleging that she owed Walker's dad, and her ex-partner, £250. "I'll stab you up," he told his mum, if she didn't hand over £250.
After the telephone call, Walker's mum returned to her home address around 5.20pm to find her son already there - despite him not being allowed there. She told him to leave or she would call Cleveland Police.
At that she walked past him and Walker launched his attack. Walker "grabbed" his mother's throat "with both hands". He held her neck "tight" until she felt "dizzy and lightheaded".
The judge added that Walker was on post sentence supervision at the time of his offending, stating that he "lost control and reacted violently". Judge Anderson jailed Walker, of Rochester Road, Stockton, for 18 months.
Violent son strangled mum until she was 'struggling to breathe' over £250 debt row Glen Hutchinson
The Stockton man was jailed after subjecting a woman to two years of violent abuse. Hutchinson admitted intentional strangulation, four counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, and perverting the course of justice. .
The 29-year-old subjected the woman to violent attacks over a two-year period including while she was pregnant. He also attacked her, punching her numerous times in the head, while he was holding onto a baby, resulting in the baby's head hitting a doorframe and the child needing hospital scans to ensure no lasting injury had been caused.
Hutchinson, of Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, but previously lived in York, was convicted of perverting the course of justice after trying to persuade the victim not to cooperate with the investigation. He was sentenced to four years and nine months in jail at York Crown Court on Monday, February 10.
Violent abuser jailed for 'horrific attacks' on heavily pregnant woman Mahmoud Al-Omer
The husband punched and strangled his wife after she asked him to turn the internet on. Mahmoud Al-Omer "flew into a rage" over the request and set upon the woman leaving her "terrified".
The 29-year-old told her that he would 'take her to the other land', which a Teesside Crown Court judge said was a threat to kill. Al-Omer was described as a "danger to the public" as he was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court for intentional strangulation and common assault.
In a statement, the woman said she'd asked Al-Omer to turn on the internet so she could contact family and friends abroad. But he refused her request and "flew into a rage". The woman told how he "punched and strangled her" on three occasions.
The Middlesbrough court heard that the woman struggled to breathe and she believed he had threatened to kill her. The judge ruled that he believed Al-Omer, of Craven Street, Middlesbrough, was a "danger to the public" and sentenced him to 19 months in prison.
'Danger to public' husband punched and strangled wife after she asked him to turn internet on John Doherty
A violent alcoholic turned up at his ex partner's home and strangled her after she ended their relationship. John Doherty, 57, was told by the woman not to come round, but he walked in through the unlocked back door on the afternoon of November 19 last year.
As the woman's grandson shouted: "John's here!" - the woman came downstairs and noticed that her ex's fist was clenched. He told her: "If I can't have you, no one can." As the woman tried to say that she wasn't with anyone else and she was happy being single, Doherty grabbed her around the neck and squeezed her throat, as he rammed her up against her kitchen sink.
The victim was able to get away, and she ran outside to call the police. The 999 call operator heard Doherty begging her not to report him before he said: "I could have you f****** dead by the time the police come."
Doherty, of Union Street in central Middlesbrough, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation. He has 45 previous convictions for 75 offences, which include domestic violence against another former partner.
Doherty was jailed for 16-months and a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim was put in place for 10 years.
'If I can't have you, no one can': Violent alcoholic strangled woman who ended relationship
Lee McQuade
A controlling boyfriend threatened to 'scar and disfigure' his ex's 'pretty little face' in a two-year relationship from hell. McQuade, 39, strangled his girlfriend four times during their two-year relationship and said he would only leave her if she paid him £5,000.
He told his then partner that she was "the runt of the litter" and threatened to "slice her up" when he accused her of cheating on him. McQuade moved into his girlfriend's home shortly after the start of their romance in 2022, and threatened to hurt her in front of her children.
On Thursday, some of the texts McQuade sent his partner were read out at Teesside Crown Court. He messaged: "I'm going to permanently scar and disfigure your pretty little face. Sleep with one eye open."
The unemployed brute sobbed as he listened to the case against him via video link from HMP Leeds. The court heard that he strangled his partner four times:
In April 2023, he followed his girlfriend upstairs after an argument, got hold of her arm and squeezed her by the throat with his other hand; In January 2024, the couple rowed after McQuade said he wouldn't eat his girlfriend's cooking - when she told him to leave, he grabbed her by the throat; In July 2024, McQuade was angry because he didn't have any clean socks - he gripped his partner around her throat and later told her to cover up the bruise; In August 2024, McQuade strangled his partner for the fourth time.
He threatened to kill his partner if she didn't pay his bills and later threatened her: "I'll make sure you don't see Christmas Day, never mind the next hour. I'll do it in front of the kids."
He pleaded guilty to coercive control and to four counts of intentional strangulation. McQuade was jailed for three years. An indefinite restraining order was made banning him from contacting his former partner again.
Boyfriend's threats to 'scar and disfigure' ex's 'pretty little face' in two-year relationship from hell
Daniel Soulsby
The violent and jealous brute threatened to stab his partner and break her legs during a five month relationship where he subjected her to "systematic abuse". Over the course of a five-month relationship, Soulsby physically assaulted the woman, verbally abused her, threatened to 'break her legs', threatened to damage her property and repeatedly accused her of cheating.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Soulsby belittled the woman, swore at her and demanded they leave in a taxi. When they arrived home he struck her around the head. The woman said in her statement: "He leapt towards me and put both of his hands around my neck and started squeezing tightly to the point I could not breathe."
Around four months into the relationship, at the complainant's home following a night out, he attacked her. She said: "He punched me in the face and was kicking me while I was on the floor." Soulsby went to the kitchen and pulled out a kitchen knife and told her: "I'll f****** kill you, I'l f****** stab you."
He had a hold of the knife for a matter of seconds before putting it back but then stood over the woman and told her: "I'll f****** break your legs." Soulsby admitted engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of intentional strangulation and one of criminal damage.
Recorder David Brooke KC said: "This was a systematic abuse of a young woman." He jailed Soulsby, of Redwood Court, Marton, for three years.
Jealous brute threatened to stab partner and break her legs during abusive five-month relationship
Graham Stewart
This boozed-up thug strangled his then girlfriend leaving her unable to breathe before threatening her with a kitchen knife. Stewart, 64, launched the attack in his Stockton home on December 23, 2022, assaulting the woman after she tried to leave.
Teesside Crown Court heard he strangled her twice before holding a knife up to her neck. The woman is now afraid to leave the house and has been prescribed medication for anxiety. She has also lost three stone and described herself as a "shadow" of her former self.
Stewart appeared at Teesside Crown Court for sentence on Wednesday, January 29, after being found guilty at a trial of intentional strangulation, threatening the woman with a kitchen knife, and stalking.
The Langley Close defendant was jailed for two years and three months and banned from contacting the victim indefinitely.
Boozed-up thug strangled girlfriend before threatening her with kitchen knife
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