Sowerby Bridge man strangled woman over 'revealing' clothes
A man strangled his girlfriend after an argument over her outfit on a night out, a court has heard.John Lowther, 28, admitted strangulation and assault by beating during the incident in August 2023, but was spared a custodial sentence at Bradford Crown Court earlier.However, he was warned that his actions could have been fatal by Judge Christopher Smith, who said that "the same pressure as opening a can of Coke" could cause death by strangulation.He handed Lowther, of Sowerby Bridge, a 12-month prison term, suspended for 18 months.
Judge Smith added: "I want to give you a chance to show me that you can keep yourself out of trouble." A two-year restraining order preventing contact with the victim, a curfew and a nine-month alcohol treatment requirement were also imposed on Lowther, of Horley Green Road.The court heard that the couple had been on a night out in Sowerby Bridge when Lowther told his girlfriend that her clothes were too revealing.Prosecuting, Nathan Davis said an argument began and continued when they got home, when Lowther demanded to know who she was texting. He then became aggressive."He put his hands around her neck and squeezed," Mr Davis said. He added that the victim had told police that she could still breathe, but the pressure had "stopped her from screaming for help".Frightened, the victim had locked herself in the bathroom and phoned someone, while Lowther demanded to know who it was, Mr Davis said.He added that when Lowther could not get into the bathroom, he pretended to leave the flat and when the victim opened the door he slammed it into her face. Lowther said he did not remember his actions but blamed them on being intoxicated.
His sentence came three years since the Domestic Abuse Act introduced specific criminal offences for non-fatal strangulation and suffocation.Rachel Williams, a survivor of domestic abuse, campaigned for the law to change and has highlighted the dangers of the violent act."We know that you only need the pressure of a handshake to actually kill somebody, but generally non-fatal strangulation is used to exert power and control over the victim," she said. "I've not spoken to one victim over the last 10 years who has not been strangled."But she said that the sentences for these crimes were too lenient. "Sadly, we see it constantly that perpetrators of abuse are not held accountable for their actions."What message does that send to the victim?"We pushed to get this as a stand-alone offence for a reason."It's the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40, but when you look at the medical implications from non-fatal strangulation, it's horrific."So if it carries up to a five-year sentence, we should be imprisoning and giving custodial sentences to those who commit this abhorrent violent act."
'Like an addiction'
According to research by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, there were more than 39,000 strangulation and suffocation offences recorded in 2023-2024, compared to almost 24,000 recorded in the year before.Where victims' gender was known, 77% were female and 23% were male.Mrs Williams said: "I see perpetrators of abuse and the power and control they get from abusing is almost like an addiction."I think this is something that can't be cured overnight, either somebody wants to change or they don't. "And this this is a lifetime sort of programme really."But until the court system and the judiciary really start clamping down on perpetrators of abuse, the message that will just carry on going out to them is you can do what you want in that relationship because you're not going to go to prison for it."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
Update on Lioness goalie Khiara Keating's hippy crack case after she was hauled to court
LIONESS goalie Khiara Keating will face no further action after she was hauled to court accused of a drugs offence. The Manchester City star, 20, was charged with possession of nitrous oxide canisters. She and her mum appeared at Manchester magistrates court last summer when they pleaded not guilty. They were facing a trial in November and were due at a hearing last week. But the case has been dropped owing to insufficient evidence. At an earlier hearing, Isaac Mirza, defending, said Keating was involved in a car crash in June last year. Two police officers found nitrous oxide in her vehicle but Keating and her mum denied that it belonged to them. Nitrous oxide was categorised as a Class C drug in 2023. Possession, where a person intends to inhale it for a psychoactive effect, is an offence. But the gas can be used for legitimate reasons such as pain relief in labour. Keating, from Manchester, became the youngest player to win the Women's Super League Golden Glove in 2023/24, and will feature in next month's Euros. Ella Toone breaks down in tears as Lionesses star receives message from teammate's dad ahead of Euro 2025 1
The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
Miss Universe finalist shares pics of horror injuries as ex who called her ‘stupid c***' in text is cleared of assault
A MISS Universe finalist has shared pics of her horror injuries after her ex was cleared of assault. Chloe Othen, 34, had been invited over to Ricky Lawrence's home in Knightsbridge, London, when "all hell broke loose", a court heard. 8 8 8 8 The Miss Universe finalist claimed she was pinned down by Lawrence and accused him of punching and biting her on her legs, arm and shoulder, jurors heard. Chloe, an Instagram influencer with 284,000 followers, said she "feared she would die" at the 33-year-old's £1.5million apartment. But Lawrence, who runs Lawrence & Winslade bespoke tailors in Knightsbridge, denied the charges and was cleared of assault causing actual bodily harm after an eight-day retrial. Whisky merchant Lawrence was accused of punching Chloe multiple times but was found not guilty having insisted a love rival beat her up. He claimed her current partner Hatton Garden jeweller Bora Guccuk, 41, was responsible for Chloe's injuries. Now, Chloe has taken to Instagram with her latest post referencing the ordeal. Horrifying pictures of her injuries were uploaded by the influencer along with a statement. Chloe said: "I trusted the justice system. It failed me. "All it takes is an implication of doubt to devalue the overall felt like I was on trial. "This is happening far too often — not just to me, but to survivors everywhere. The courts are being used to retraumatise victims, not protect them. "I spoke my truth. I fought for justice. And I was let down. Moment vile woman caught kicking dog on neighbour's doorbell camera "We need change - because justice shouldn't be this easy to escape." The court was told the pair had been in a relationship for around six months between December 2021 and May 2022 but remained "on and off" after it ended. Giving evidence, Chloe described their relationship as "narcissistic" adding: "You are addicted to the highs and lows. It is euphoric." During her evidence, the influencer said: "I genuinely thought I'm going to die." She told the court she was left with six bite marks and as a result she needed a tetanus shot and antibiotics. Chloe later went to hospital where it was found one of the bite marks on her neck had "turned septic", it was said. Jurors previously heard a slew of messages were recovered from Lawrence's phone that were sent just before the accusations of assault. He told her: 'I'll do everything in my power to f**k you up. "You're a lying little w****, you said you were coming to me an hour-and-a-half ago." Chloe also described Lawrence as "crazy" and claimed he pursued her while she was at the Cannes film festival and in Mykonos with friends. CHARGES CLEARED Smartly dressed in a grey suit, bearded Lawrence appeared emotional as the unanimous verdict was announced as he looked over to supporters at the back of the courtroom. Giving evidence in court, Lawrence claimed Chloe had confided in him that her boyfriend Guccuk was violent towards her - and that at one point he had seen her with a red mark on her face. Lawrence claimed: "She had a mark on the side of her face. It looked like a footprint. It was a round mark. It was a red round mark. "She always described the relationship as violent. She said he used to beat her up, things of that nature." Asked by Tom Wyatt, defending, whether he had ever bitten anyone, Lawrence replied: "Absolutely not. I'd never even had a fight". The defence lawyer said no one was suggesting Chloe was not assaulted but claimed Guccuk was responsible for her injuries. Mr Wyatt added: "She couldn't risk losing the man who paid for her lifestyle." Francesca Allen, 28, who appeared on series five of Love Island, dated Lawrence in 2018 and wrote a character statement as part of Lawrence's defence. Following his initial arrest, Lawrence had wept and said: "This is ridiculous. She's ruining my life. I asked her to leave." Lawrence later gave police a prepared statement in which he confirmed his relationship with Ms Othen began in January 2022 and ended four months later "because she aborted my child". 8 8 8
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Police issue appeal five years after double murder at lockdown party
Murder squad detectives have made a fresh appeal for information on the fifth anniversary of a double killing at a lockdown party. Cheriff Tall, 21, and father of three Abayomi 'Junior' Ajose, 36, were shot dead at a 'spontaneous' party attended by 400 people in Moss Side, Manchester, in the early hours of June 21 2020. The event, with a DJ and PA system, took place in a car park in the middle of a block of flats hours after a Black Lives Matter protest. Detectives are appealing for information if witnesses know or saw someone there who was wearing a black Icon cap with a white logo and a white Nike Air T-shirt with a small black logo over the left side of the chest. A £50,000 reward remains available for key information that leads to the discovery and conviction of the killer, who police believe is from Birmingham. Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Major Incident Team, said: 'This year marks five years since Cheriff and Junior went out to a party but sadly never returned home to their loved ones. Their families have been left devastated by their loss, and they deserve justice. 'We will never be able to bring back their beloved Cheriff and Junior, but we can see that their killer is brought to justice. We need members of the community to get in touch and help us with some key information. 'There were hundreds of people in the car park that night and we are sure that there are people who saw the incident, even if it was just part of it. 'However, there has been a reluctance for witnesses to come forward with information. 'I understand that people might be scared, and that is normal given what has happened, but there is a range of measures that we can put in place to keep witnesses safe. 'Evidence can be given on video or behind a screen. It could also be that we could apply to the courts for the witness to be anonymous if there are grounds to do so. 'I'd just ask for you to come forward and we can have an honest chat about what we can do, as you don't have to commit to giving a statement in the first instance. 'The person responsible for these murders we believe is from Birmingham. He is not a member of the local Moss Side community, and he should not be protected. 'Anyone who comes forward in this case is not a 'grass' for helping the police, they are simply doing what is right for two families who have had their loved ones taken from them in awful circumstances. No one deserves that. 'When we have worked together in the past, we have achieved great results and if we work together again, we can get justice for Cheriff and Junior. It's not too late to do the right thing.' Anyone with information, however small or insignificant, should contact GMP in confidence on 0161 856 2035, quoting incident number 221 of 21/06/20. Alternatively, reports can be made in confidence to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Information, including pictures and videos, can be uploaded anonymously to the Major Incident Public Portal for Operation Tarnbrook at
