Leeds thug bit partner and stamped on her head before strangling her during cash feud

It was only when she kicked out did Zachary Loveday-Sims remove his hands from her neck, Leeds Crown Court heard. The woman and the 25-year-old had known each other for several years but started a relationship in early 2022 and he would regularly stay over.

Prosecutor Ayman Khokhar said on December 5 last year he returned to her home on Snowden Crescent in Bramley in drink, and an argument began in the bedroom.

With the woman laid on the bed, Loveday-Sims slapped her face five times before dragging her off the bed by her hair and slammed her head into the bedside table.

She began screaming in the hope somebody would hear, so he put his hand over her mouth to prevent her. When he let go she screamed again so he climbed on her and punched her several times to the face. He then stamped on her head “repeatedly”, before biting her neck.

When she was face down on the bed, he then put both hands around her neck for what she told police was about 20 seconds. She then kicked out to his stomach forcing him to let go.

When he left the room to go the bathroom to look at scratches she had inflicted on him during the attack, she barricaded herself in the bedroom and phoned the police. He then left the house when he realised she was on the phone.

She later went to the LGI where it was found she sustained a small fracture to the eye and nose area. She also had significant bruising to various areas of her body.

Loveday-Sims was arrested the next day and denied the attack, claiming it was self defence. He later admitted a Section 20 GBH offence and intentional strangulation. He has been held on remand in HMP Leeds since his arrest.

He has 11 previous convictions for 15 offences including a domestic-related incident with a previous partner.

Mitigating, Jane Cooper said that Loveday-Sims had been going through mental health issues at the time of the December attack, which he had bottled up and not shared with his partner. This included him losing his flat, which she thought he was still paying for. He was also only working one week in four so was financially struggling.

Miss Cooper said: "He had been living in his car and maintained the facade that he was still living at his flat. His mental health was in a poor state and he was not sharing that with her. He was in difficulties.

“The argument was over money. He had lent her money and he thought she had not paid him back, but she had. It was relatively trivial but it moved onto other matters. He deeply regrets his behaviour.”

The court was told that Loveday-Sims, now of no fixed address, was already on a suspended sentence for a previous matter, to which Judge Christopher Batty activated 10 months. He gave him an additional 22 months’ jail for the attack on his partner, which he will begin serving once the suspended sentence is served.