NORTH TYNESIDE EX-SOLDIER GETS SUSPENDED PRISON FOR STRANGLING PARTNER
A former soldier left his partner fearing he would kill her as he squeezed her neck while issuing death threats.Martin Miller left the woman struggling for breath as he strangled her on two separate occasions in frightening attacks.
Miller, who has PTSD resulting from his service in the army, had a brief relationship with the victim when he turned violent.
On November 22 last year, after visiting pubs in Newcastle, they returned to his home where she planned to stay overnight.
Prosecutor Joe Hedworth told Newcastle Crown Court: "Within five minutes of arriving, the defendant picked up a bottle of rum and smashed it against his living room wall.
She asked what he was doing and told him to stop.
He said it was because of his PTSD and he calmed down, then they watched TV in the bedroom." However, he became verbally abusive, smashed her phone, and threw a bedside cabinet causing it to break.
He then threw a glass of red wine which caused a cut on her hand.
When police arrived, they found blood spattered on the ground and the woman with blood on her hand and looking upset.
On November 30, she returned to collect her belongings, and he allowed her in but then began destroying his furniture and pinned her to a wall with his hand on her neck.
On January 9 this year, Miller turned up uninvited with another man; he then grabbed her by the throat and squeezed with force, choking her and saying "I'm going to kill you." She pleaded for her life and he eventually left.
The woman was found distressed, with bruising, swelling, and redness.
During a victim impact statement, she said she felt nervous and anxious around him, fearing he might come to her address, and expressed that she was scared he would kill her.
Miller, who has ten previous convictions including battery and criminal damage, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional strangulation, assault, and criminal damage.
Pre-sentence reports indicated he poses a high risk of causing serious harm.
He was sentenced to two years suspended for two years, with 150 hours of unpaid work, a six-month drug rehabilitation order, and a ten-year restraining order.
Defense lawyer Shaun Routledge mentioned that in the first attack, Miller threw a glass at a wall, and he acknowledged his issues with alcohol and cocaine.
The article notes that Miller served nearly ten years in the armed forces, including a stint in Afghanistan during 2009-2010, where he experienced losses and trauma.
His military service ended after he used cocaine, which has contributed to his current behavior.
