BULLY BOYFRIEND USED PILLOW AS A WEAPON TO SUFFOCATE TERRIFIED PARTNER
‘Vile bully’ Dominic Wint strangled, suffocated and attacked his ex-partner.The 29-year-old became jealous when she started a new relationship and bombarded her with 100 texts and messages a day.
And he damaged her car and her new partner's vehicle.
But since his arrest the defendant has turned his life around and he admitted all his offending despite his victim not co-operating with the prosecution.
Now Wint has been sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor Emily Woodside said the defendant and his victim had a baby in 2018 and married in 2022 but their relationship ended in 2023.
Miss Woodside said: "They were going through process of adopting the defendant's nephew.
The defendant fell into debt.
She did not know where his money was going." "The relationship ended in January 2023.
The couple continued to live together until December 2023.
During those 11 months he damaged three televisions, either by punching them or throwing them.
He punched and damaged doors." "When she was in the bath he tried to take her phone off her.
He tried to get her out of the bath.
He would often verbally abuse her, calling her a whore or a slag." "In August 2023 she was on holiday in Zante.
He sent a number of abusive messages calling her a whore and a slag and posting comments on Facebook." The court heard the victim moved out after Christmas 2023.
Between January and March 2024 he often called her and asked if they could get back together.
Miss Woodside said: "Sometimes he would send 100 calls and messages." They reconciled in April 2024.
But on one occasion he had been out drinking and she confronted him about a message.
Miss Woodside said: "The defendant grabbed her hair and pulled on it.
He pushed her on the sofa, placed his knees on her legs, he placed both hands around her neck and squeezed.
She tried to push him off.
He stopped.
He was very apologetic.
They continued their relationship." On March 2025 she became aware he had been unfaithful while on holiday and she ended the relationship.
Miss Woodside said: "He would text or call her up to 100 times a day asking to get back together.
He sent offensive messages.
He asked where she was.
He messaged her mother." On a date in May 2025 he went to her house and he confronted her in relation to messages she had on an old phone.
Miss Woodside said: "She tried to take her phone back.
He pushed her back with force causing her to fall on her back.
It caused her pain in her leg and back.
He pushed her again causing her to fall into the bath.
He followed her into the bedroom.
He picked up a pillow and placed it over her face.
She tried to escape but was unable to do so.
She was feeling panicked and was losing her breath.
Eventually he removed the pillow.
He said, 'You should consider yourself lucky because I thought I was going to kill you.
I just saw red'." Wint found out the victim had been on dates with her current partner.
On June 17, 2025 she was driving and the defendant approached in his car at speed.
Miss Woodside said: "The road was narrow.
She thought he was going to ram into the back of her vehicle.
She reported it to the police.
He was arrested." Wint was given police bail with conditions not to contact his ex or go to her home.
But he sent unwanted messages in which he said he wanted her to kill herself and he hoped she would be run over by a car.
The victim was woken at 2.50am on October 24, 2025 by the defendant knocking at her door.
He kicked both sides of her new partner's vehicle causing damage to the wing mirror and he kicked the wing mirror of her car.
In a statement, the victim said: "I am scared of Dom as he is very unpredictable.
You do not know what he is capable of." Wint, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour; intentional strangulation; assault by beating; intentional suffocation and two charges of criminal damage.
Mitigating, Edmund Potts said Wint, who has no previous convictions, is "disgusted at the despicable and cowardly way he behaved".
Mr Potts said: "He has reflected on his flaws, the impact his behaviour has had and he has made clear how sorry he is.
This is a man who knows he is on the cliff edge of losing his liberty.
But if you take a chance on him it would perhaps pay dividends on return." Recorder Robert Smith made Wint the subject of a restraining order which prohibits him from going to his ex's address without prior agreement for five years.
He said: "You became a jealous and controlling partner.
You threatened violence towards her.
You were violent towards her on several occasions.
You were jealous when she started a new relationship.
You used vile language towards her, calling her a whore and a slag." "You sent her hundreds of messages.
You demanded pictures of where she was and who she was with.
You messaged her mother seeking confirmation of her whereabouts.
The behaviour escalated after she began a new relationship." "You were on police bail for some of the offending.
You were exploiting child contact arrangements.
You used a pillow as a weapon." "Your most powerful piece of mitigation is the way you have conducted yourself during these proceedings.
She made it clear to the prosecution she had no intention of cooperating with them or attending the trial.
You entered guilty pleas on the full facts to all counts in circumstances where 99.9 per cent of defendants would have tried to play the system.
I regard that as compelling evidence of remorse." "What you did was to inflict a cowardly pattern of domestic abuse on her.
Men who treat women in the way you treated her are vile bullies.
You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.
Domestic abuse is an extremely serious matter that this court takes very seriously." "In my judgement, since this offending, you have turned your life around.
You had made positive changes and you have reduced the risk that you pose to women." As part of the suspended sentence Wint must complete 150 hours unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement for 40 days.
He was ordered to pay £300 compensation for the damage to the two cars and £500 costs.
His progress will be monitored with the first review on June 4.
