MAN FELT 'LIKE HUMAN PUNCHBAG' AFTER VIOLENT EX HIT, BIT AND STRANGLED HIM IN STREET
A woman named Kayleigh Whittingham, aged 32, with a history of violence, carried out a brutal street assault on her ex-boyfriend, during which she physically attacked and strangled him out of fury.The incident caused the victim to feel as if he was a 'human punching bag.' Whittingham began the attack following a confrontation and verbal insults directed at the man.
A bystander attempted to intervene to separate them, and the victim succeeded in flagging down a police vehicle, according to reports from Hull Crown Court.
Whittingham, who was previously living on Carlisle Street in Goole but had recently moved to Church Road in New Edlington, Doncaster, admitted to charges of intentional strangulation and assault causing actual bodily harm during an incident in Bridlington on August 16.
Prosecutor Harry Bradford revealed that Whittingham and the man had been involved in a long-term relationship.
The assault happened around 5 pm when Whittingham arrived at her former partner’s residence in Bridlington accompanied by another woman.
She confronted him aggressively, shouting accusations and hitting him repeatedly in the head and face before strangling him, which restricted his airflow, according to Hull Live.
The assault spilled into the street, where she pushed the victim.
Despite a good Samaritan trying to break it up, she bit him on the biceps and shoulder before withdrawing.
After alerting the police and providing her details—initially lying about her identity, claiming she was 'Louise'—an officer recognized her as Whittingham and then arrested her.
The victim expressed to the court that the assault made him feel devalued, likening himself to a 'human punching bag,' and described feelings of anger, disappointment, and worthlessness.
Whittingham did not respond during police interviews.
She has a criminal record with seven prior offences, including three involving assaults on ex-boyfriends.
Notably, she received a six-month suspended sentence in November 2017 for attacking her then-boyfriend with a bottle, and in August 2018, she was convicted of wounding another boyfriend by stabbing him with a knife.
Her lawyer, Oliver Shipley, acknowledged that there were underlying issues but argued that they did not excuse her actions.
Whittingham admitted guilt on the day her trial was scheduled.
Judge Tahir Khan KC condemned her behaviour as 'shocking' within the domestic sphere, confirming that her relationship was over and that she wanted no contact with the man involved.
She accepted responsibility for her crimes.
She was sentenced to a 21-month prison sentence suspended for two years, ordered to complete 25 days of rehabilitation, and placed under a three-year restraining order.
The judge warned her that any violation of this order could lead to imprisonment and urged her to avoid further trouble during the next two years.
