HALIFAX MAN SCOTT MITCHELL JAILED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND STRANGULATION
During a two-hour period marked by violence, a woman feared she would either die or be compelled to kill her partner after he attacked her.In court, Judge Sophie McKone told Bradford Crown Court that Halifax man Scott Mitchell, aged 38, exhibited jealousy and employed violence to gain control over the woman, who was evidently terrified during the incident fueled by alcohol earlier this year.
The assault in February was described as the peak of a series of earlier episodes, during which Mitchell fractured her finger, tore her lip, punched her, and struck her over the head with a vodka bottle.
Referring to the February attack, Judge McKone stated that the woman believed she would have had to kill Mitchell to save herself or he would kill her.
She attempted to barricade herself in a bathroom, but Mitchell broke in; then, when he followed her into the bedroom, he stamped on her head and strangled her, making it hard for her to breathe.
Prosecutor Anthony Moore explained that the woman refused to contact the police unless Mitchell allowed her to leave, to which Mitchell responded with a threat: 'No, this is how it ends.' It was also noted that she sustained a severe cut on her foot while escaping through a broken window.
Once Mitchell had gone, she was assisted by delivery personnel who arrived at the scene.
Her injuries included damage to her eye socket, cheekbone, and ankle.
Mitchell, from West Street in Halifax, was detained the day after the assault, and during his July trial, he admitted to assault, coercive behavior, and deliberate strangulation.
He was sentenced by Judge McKone to a prison term of 37 months and was subject to a five-year ban on contact with the victim.
The judge stated that Mitchell had been drinking for several days before the attack, but emphasized that alcohol consumption was not an excuse.
Additionally, Mitchell’s prior conviction for stalking another individual—which resulted in a suspended sentence—was mentioned.
The court considered the victim’s personal statement, in which she expressed her anxiety that she might never recover psychologically and her concerns about entering future relationships due to fear of being re-victimized.
