LESLEY BRAITHWAITE FROM MANCHESTER JAILED FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE AND EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED SOON

Leslie Braithwaite has been incarcerated but is anticipated to be released shortly. A woman was discovered hiding in a bush by police after fleeing from her abusive boyfriend and locking him inside her home. Before she was discovered, Braithwaite had managed to leave the property, but she had called the police beforehand. He then ordered her to tell the authorities that ‘everything was okay.’ Braithwaite has since been jailed for multiple incidents of domestic violence, including episodes where he strangled and punched her.

Manchester Crown Court heard that 36-year-old Braithwaite had been in a relationship with the woman for ‘a few years’ before his offending. They separated in August 2022 but reconciled the following June, when he moved into her Manchester residence. About two weeks after moving in, an incident occurred in which Braithwaite punched her in the back of the head, strangled her, and covered her mouth to prevent her from breathing.

The next month, the couple was drinking together in her bedroom. During this time, Braithwaite bit her on the nose and on the ear. She started screaming as Braithwaite threatened, ‘he was going to kill her.’ She was ‘struggling to breathe’ and tried to bite his hand after he had placed it over her face. Eventually, she managed to escape, running to the front door and locking Braithwaite inside. She then hid nearby in a bush and contacted the police. Braithwaite was able to leave the house and found her outside, where he pressured her to tell the police that ‘everything was okay.’

Initially, he told officers that she had run out crying because they had an ‘argument.’ The police separated the couple and interviewed them separately. The woman appeared ‘visibly upset’ with visible bruises, according to police reports. During the interview, Braithwaite repeatedly called her on her phone. When questioned further, he claimed that she had been ‘having a nightmare’ and that he had ‘simply restrained her’ after she ‘lashed out.’ He was granted bail, and the couple resumed their relationship.

Prosecutor Julian Goode noted, “His behaviour towards her stayed the same. It wasn’t long before the police were called again.”

On January 23, police were called after she confronted Braithwaite over ‘messages to another female.’ He reacted aggressively and punched her in the back of the head. Braithwaite, who has no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of strangulation and one count of assault by beating. A statement on the woman’s behalf, summarized by Mr. Goode, said: “The defendant has full control of her life. She wanted to feel like herself again.” She described feeling ‘destroyed by him’ and ‘dehumanised.’

Defense lawyer Kevin Liston noted that Braithwaite had spent seven and a half months in prison since being remanded in January. Judge Recorder Andrew Long sentenced him to 16 months in jail, with the understanding that Braithwaite would serve half of that term before likely being released soon. The judge emphasized, “These are serious offences. You recognize, I think, that this pattern of behaviour is one you urgently need to address, because it will only lead to more trouble. I hope it doesn’t come to that. Domestic violence is always very serious. Violence involving strangulation or suffocation will generally result in immediate imprisonment unless in exceptional circumstances. Your relationship is over, and it must stay that way.”

A restraining order was also issued, banning Braithwaite from contacting the woman for five years. GMP was unable to provide a mugshot of Braithwaite.