Gateshead thug strangled woman after blaming her when he couldn't find his cocaine

A domestic violence thug strangled a petrified woman after blaming her when he couldn't find his cocaine.

Jordan Hutchinson and the victim had been in a relationship but it failed. In early August last year, she agreed to meet him at a pub in Newcastle. After that, she stayed in touch and would meet up occasionally.

On August 12 he went to her home, where she lived with her mother and they went out to a pub. Neil Pallister, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "When they got back home he bent towards his socks and sought to retrieve what he said was a packet of cocaine but he couldn't find it and began arguing with her.

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"They both entered her home and went upstairs to her bedroom. She sat at the bottom of the bed and he was at the top of the bed. The defendant then began blaming her for the missing cocaine and said she had taken it. That was not true.

"The next thing she remembers was her being on the floor on her back. He had both her hands around her neck and he was sitting on top of her.

"She could feel a lot of pressure on her neck and she could hear him saying words to the effect of her being scared now. She then recalls his face being close to hers.

"She reacted to defend herself by biting him and she pushed him off. She was petrified and feared he would kill her."

The woman ran to the front door but found it was locked and the keys were not there. Mr Pallister said: "She heard the defendant come downstairs and the next thing she remembers she was in the bedroom lying on her back and the defendant was on top of her with his hands on her neck.

"He was not choking her at that point. She was screaming at him, begging him to let her go.

"He squeezed her neck harder and she tried to put her fingers between her hands to get him to stop." The woman told him her brother would be turning up because he had phoned her earlier and she had not answered.

He went to get her phone and she used that opportunity to escape, grabbing her phone and heading out of the back door, screaming for help and running through a neighbour's house and hiding behind cars in the street.

She rang her friend who got her mother to go and collect her. Mr Pallister said: "She was petrified and hysterical.

"Her neck was bright red with marks on it. she also had red marks on her arms, bruising to her thigh and reddening and bruising to her knees."

In a victim impact statement, she said: "He has made me fear for my life. My day-to-day life has been massively impacted by him.

"I've always lived at home with my mum and I've had to leave the only home I've known, firstly going to a refuge then being re-homed. This has caused me to feel lonely and isolated.

"I feel all I do is cry and worry about what sort of future I can have."

Hutchinson, 22, of Thirlmere, Leam Lane, Gateshead, who has eight previous convictions including for previous domestic violence and spitting at a doctor, pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation.

Jamie Adams, defending, said Hutchinson had written a letter of "self-condemnation", is remorseful and has spent eight months in custody. The court heard he had a difficult childhood, abused drugs and alcohol to copy with injuries he suffered and has made good progress in prison.

Mr Recorder Rippon sentenced Hutchinson to 21 months suspended for two years and he must do a "building better relationships" course, will be subject to an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement for 120 days and a mental health treatment requirement. He was also given a restraining order lasting seven years.