Judge blasts thug's 'walking-into-a-door' defence after attack on Wakefield partner
A violent thug who strangled his partner has been jailed, but the judge openly criticised a decision to not charge him with further offences.
Judge Richard Mansell KC struggled to hide his anger after it was heard that the Crown had not pursued an ABH charge for David Wills.
Wills, who has a history of violence, admitted throttling the victim but denied giving her a black eye - claiming she fell over.
This was not pursued after the victim backed up his claim that she had tripped on a step, despite contacting the police and telling them that Wills was repeatedly hitting her.
Visibly frustrated, Judge Mansell said: “What a load of rubbish. Am I just meant to completely ignore that she had a whopping great black eye and bruising?
“It’s the walking-into-a-door defence. I fundamentally disagree with that decision.”
Leeds Crown Court heard that the victim made a 999 call to police at around 4.50pm on December 20 last year, telling the operator that Wills was hitting her, wanted help and asked them to “get her out of there”.
She then hung up, but rang back saying that everything was “fine now”. Played to the court, Wills could be heard in the background instructing her on what to say.
The police went to the address on Netherfield Close, Castleford, and found the woman with the black eye, blood around her mouth and bruises to her neck.
Wills, 50, was arrested but maintained he had done nothing wrong. He told the police the woman was a “worthless piece of s***” and a “little b****”.
He continued to deny any wrongdoing but was found guilty of intentional strangulation after a magistrates’ court trial.
He has previous convictions including an ABH in 1996, a Section 20 GBH in 1998, assaults in 2013 and 2018, and a conviction for battery against the same woman last year - just days before he strangled her.
Wills, of no fixed address, appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds. Mitigating on his behalf, Nathan Davis said Wills’ offending was “directly linked to his substance misuse and transient lifestyle”.
He said he had been homeless for around eight years and his alcohol consumption had caused him to lose his job as a forklift driver.
On sentencing, Judge Mansell reiterated his thoughts on the woman’s black eye, saying it was “not consistent” with a fall, but accepted he could only sentence him for the strangulation, “however dissatisfied” he was with that decision.
He jailed Wills for 30 months.