MAN ATTACKED YOUNG BOY DURING ROW
A violent man who previously attacked a young boy during an argument with his ex-partner subsequently attempted to strangulate another woman.Ryan Turnbull grabbed the boy by his arm, threw him to the ground, and then struck him in the face with a basketball amid a dispute with his mother.
At Teesside Crown Court, it was explained that Turnbull had been involved in a controlling relationship with the boy’s mother for four years, but his violence eventually became intolerable.
Prosecutor Paul Newcombe stated that Turnbull made 30 calls to the boy’s mother, asking to visit and apologise, but she refused, informing him that he had crossed a line.
He highlighted that although Turnbull started a new relationship, his controlling tendencies persisted.
He would call her repeatedly to monitor her whereabouts and accuse her of infidelity.
“When she returned home, he accused her of cheating on her,” Mr Newcombe explained.
“While she was making a sandwich, he grabbed her arm and pushed her against the washer.
“She told him to leave, he pushed her into a wardrobe having refused to leave and she told him she was going to call the police.” Mr Newcombe detailed how the couple attempted to rebuild their relationship, but Turnbull's aggressive and controlling behaviour persisted.
“She tried to walk away and he tried to prevent her by grabbing her around the neck and pinning her to the bed,” he said.
“After a minute he released his grip on her throat but returned and put his hands to her throat again and was strangling her.” Turnbull, who lives on Bessemer Street in Ferryhill, was convicted in September 2022 of coercive and controlling conduct as well as assault causing actual bodily harm against the young boy.
Additionally, in June and July of the previous year, he was convicted of deliberately strangling and assaulting his subsequent partner.
Mitigating his case, Tabitha Buck acknowledged that Turnbull recognises he needs to address certain issues and has relationship challenges.
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced the 29-year-old to four years and six months in prison for all convictions.
He commented on the controlling and verbally aggressive nature of Turnbull’s actions, which escalated into physical violence, creating harmful environments for his victims.
The judge recounted the incident where Turnbull, upon seeing the boy crying, pushed him to the ground and then violently threw a basketball into his face, causing dizziness and distress.
Furthermore, Turnbull was given indefinite restraining orders to safeguard both victims.
Judge Bennett remarked that he found Turnbull obsessively controlling, paranoid about the women talking to others, and that these behaviours resurfaced even after he started new relationships.
