A 37-year-old man has been jailed after a judge heard how he strangled a woman he had been seeing for roughly 10 weeks, refused to leave her home and repeatedly made her feel unsafe, a court in Leeds has been told.
Assault left victim fearing for her home
The defendant, identified in court as Danny Farmer, appeared by video link from HMP Leeds. Prosecutors said the pair had met via Facebook earlier in the year and began a short-lived relationship. During an argument in March the attack escalated: the woman was dragged upstairs, restrained and assaulted.
“I felt like my life and home no longer belonged to me. I was constantly walking on eggshells…,”
The words come from a victim impact statement read to the court in which the woman described living in fear and withdrawing from family and friends. She has since fitted security cameras at her property.
Court heard of warnings and repeated controlling behaviour
Prosecutor Rachel Webster told the court the defendant repeatedly refused to leave the woman’s home when asked and would follow her around the house. He also warned her directly, stating “You are mine, nobody else can have you.”
As well as the assault by strangulation, Farmer admitted two counts of criminal damage relating to a broken door and a damaged phone from a separate incident. The attack was so violent the defendant broke two of his own fingers and required hospital treatment.
- Relationship length: around 10 weeks
- Offences admitted: strangulation and two counts of criminal damage
- Immediate impact: victim fitted security cameras and cut off social contact
| Offence / Detail | Date / Note |
|---|---|
| Strangulation | Admitted (incident in March) |
| Criminal damage (door and phone) | Admitted |
| Previous convictions | GBH (2015), ABH (2020) |
Mitigation and sentencing remarks
Defence counsel Shila Whitehead told the court the relationship had been volatile and described Farmer as a father of three with dyslexia, who needs screening for bipolar disorder because of a family history. She said he was remorseful and realistic about the outcome.
“The ferocity of your attack is revealed in that you broke two of your fingers doing it,”
Those were the sentencing remarks reported from Judge Kate Rayfield, who also highlighted the profound impact the assault had on the victim.
The case illustrates the dangerous combination of controlling behaviour and physical violence in intimate relationships and underlines the risks posed by repeat offenders. Local domestic abuse services offer support to people affected by similar incidents, and anyone in immediate danger should contact the emergency services.
Further details of the prison term handed down were reported at Leeds Crown Court this week.
