A Bexhill man who strangled his girlfriend and controlled her life has been jailed for two years.
Jimmy Wright, 24, previously of Cantelupe Road, Bexhill, was in a relationship with his victim – a woman in her 20s for three years.
In that time, he isolated her from her friends and family and took control over significant parts of her life. He also assaulted her on multiple occasions, including strangling her until she stopped breathing.
At Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 5 November 2024 Wright pleaded not guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour, non-fatal strangulation and two charges of assault on the woman. He was found guilty of all four offences and was sent to Lewes Crown Court for sentencing.
On 27 January he was sentenced to two years in prison and given a 10-year restraining order.
On sentencing Wright, Judge Mooney said: “I have no idea why you behaved this way. You were violent, bullying, and held her by the throat. You took it a step further and strangled restricting breathing which is the most dreadful thing to do.
“She has the courage to report it to the police. You had two choices to either accept responsibility for what you have done or deny everything. You chose route two forcing the complainant to go to court.”
After the case, Detective Constable Rebecca Dixon said: “The victim was brave in supporting the investigation. We take all reports of domestic abuse seriously and encourage victims to talk to us.”
