MAN STRANGLED PARTNER AFTER 14-DAY DRUG BINGE AND FORCED HER TO TAKE LIE DETECTOR TESTS
A father of seven who strangled his partner following a two-week drug binge and compelled her to take lie detector tests to prove her fidelity has been sentenced to prison.Craig Clack was handed an immediate prison sentence of 21 months last week after the court found him to be a danger to society.
The 31-year-old, residing on Meadow Lane in Ainsdale, pleaded guilty to intentionally strangling his former partner, Hayley Farrell, as part of a plea agreement made shortly after the trial began.
Ms Farrell, aged 36 and from Southport, stated that the couple had been together for two and a half years and had a child early in their relationship.
She claimed that the abuse started around the time of their child's birth.
She explained: "He was a drug addict and would become delusional and would accuse me of doing this and that.
He would make me take lie detector tests to prove I had not done anything.
"He would accuse me of all sorts, but I hardly left the house.
I didn't have a night out with friends for two years.
"He went to rehab but would come on weekends and accuse me of having sexual contact.
I did a lie detector test which asked me if I had any sexual contact.
"He told me that wasn't enough so made me do another one where I was asked if I had messaged another man.
I thought if I did them the abuse would stop.
I spent around £1,200." Liverpool Crown Court heard that on June 14 of the previous year, Clack strangled Ms Farrell.
She asserted that the incident occurred after Clack had been using drugs continuously for 14 days, according to reports by the Echo.
She recounted: "On the day he strangled me he asked me for money.
He already owed me £3,000 so I told him no.
That was when he flew at me.
He put his hands around my throat and threw me into a mirror." She also revealed that she tried to hide the abuse from her family, but ultimately contacted her sister, who reported the incident to the police.
Clack faced charges of actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation.
Initially, he denied the charges.
Ms Farrell added: "He tried to beg for me back, but he was just trying to get the charges dropped.
We went to trial and I did my bit, but he then took a plea deal a couple of days in.
"He said he would admit to the intentional strangulation if the ABH was dropped.
It was just a relief to hear him admit he had done something.
I also didn't want to put my sister through the trial as she was a witness who would have had to give evidence."
