DARLINGTON DAD JAILED FOR STRANGLING PARTNER TWICE
A new father, Luke Berry, who twice strangled his partner within a few weeks of their child's birth, has been sentenced to jail for these attacks.Berry, aged 32, pleaded guilty to two charges of non-fatal strangulation following the incidents which occurred last year on October 2.
The court heard that Berry initially grabbed his partner around the throat during an argument about childcare issues, which left her with marks and bruises due to the force he applied to her neck.
The confrontation escalated as he repeated the assault later, increasingly during the same day, and during the second attack, he left the woman struggling to breathe.
She described the second attack as lasting longer and said she felt sick and was struggling to breathe.
The woman also indicated in her victim impact statement that she would find it difficult to trust another man after these events.
Prosecutor Annelise Haugstad detailed how Berry squeezed his partner's neck tightly during the first assault, then did so again during the second, more prolonged attack.
Berry was expelled from their home after the assault, and the woman left her belongings outside.
The court heard that the injuries were significant, with visible bruises and marks.
The judge, Recorder Aisha Wadoodi, sentenced Berry to 15 months in prison, describing his actions as an 'inexplicable outburst of violence' and noting that the incident was unusual for him, as he had never behaved this way before.
She emphasized the presence of children during the incidents and the severity of the injuries, which was evident from the pictures.
The defense argued that family tensions and Berry's work as an HGV driver contributed to the situation, but acknowledged that these were not excuses for his behaviour.
The case was handled at Teesside Crown Court.
