A York man who strangled and kicked his partner has been jailed for a “barbaric” attack which the sentencing judge said was one of the worst cases of its kind he had ever seen.
Thomas Plant, 23, a builder from Haxby, had been drinking when he launched the “appalling” attack in the victim’s home, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Jemima Stephenson-Finn said that Plant kicked and strangled the named victim during a “prolonged and persistent” attack.
She said that Plant and the victim had been in a four-month relationship which was marred by his controlling behaviour, jealousy and paranoia that she was seeing other men.
“He would check her phone, dictate what friends she could speak to and expressed his opinion on gender roles and that he could do what he wants as a man,” she added.
She said that on the day of the attack on 3 October last year, the victim picked Plant up from his workplace. They stopped off at a relative’s house on the way home where Plant drank some wine.
Then, when the victim drove them to her home, he became argumentative, started lashing out, took her phone and started “looking through it”.
“When he couldn’t find anything, he accused her of having deleted material from her phone,” said Ms Stephenson-Finn.
“He was shouting at her, calling her a liar and a cheater.”
Strangled and kicked
When they arrived at the victim’s home, Plant began hitting her car while shouting and screaming at her as neighbours switched their lights on to see what the commotion was.
He then started kicking the front door of the house and pushed the victim inside. He then put his arm around her neck and strangled her as she struggled to breathe.
“Once inside, he began to punch out at things and caused damage to two doors,” added the prosecuting barrister.
As they moved into the kitchen, Plant strangled the victim again, restricting her breath.
He then kicked her in the stomach while he was still wearing his work boots as she begged him to stop. The force of the kick sent the victim “hurtling” back into the kitchen.
“He continued to kick and push her as she rang police,” added Ms Stephenson-Finn.
Plant then “stormed” out of the house and later sent the victim a nasty text saying that “you won’t get anyone as good as me”.
The victim, who separated from Plant following the attack, suffered tenderness to her chest, stomach and back which was bruised.
Ms Stephenson-Finn said the victim was spared more serious injury only because she was wearing a padded coat.
She was profoundly affected by the attack and had a series of doctor’s appointments over the following month in which she was prescribed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication. She was signed off work for 20 days.
By February this year, her psychological scars still hadn’t healed, resulting in a referral to a community mental health team.
‘Beggars belief’
Plant, of Calf Close, was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and damaging the victim’s property.
He ultimately admitted the offences and appeared for sentence via video link yesterday (3 September) after being remanded in custody.
Defence barrister Zarreen Alan-Cheetham said Plant was an otherwise hard-working man with a hitherto unblemished record.
Character references from his family and employer described Plant as “kind and caring” and that his behaviour on the night in question was out of character.
She said that an unspecified trauma in Plant’s past informed his “jealousy in relationships and his inability to trust his partners”.
She added that Plant had also struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, “specifically cocaine”, and was now receiving counselling for his problems including “anger issues”.
Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, told Plant: “What you did on that night beggars belief. I don’t think I have seen a more distressing assault on a woman for a long time.
“It was persistent, it was prolonged; it was barbaric.”
He added: “Parliament and the courts have made it plain that violence against women is endemic and it has to stop, and the courts have a role to play in that and that role is to deter others.
“Your offending is so disgraceful and so appalling that only an immediate prison sentence can be justified.”
Plant received a 20-month jail sentence but is likely to serve only half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence.
He was also made subject to a seven-year restraining order banning him from going near the victim’s home and workplace.
