Leeds man strangles girlfriend before two-hour standoff with police

Daniel Myers, 34, was handed the sentence at Leeds Crown Court after pleading guilty to actual bodily harm, malicious communications and criminal damage after assaulting his girlfriend on boxing day last year before sending her threatening messages less than a week later.

At the sentencing hearing today (April 19), the prosecutor Emily Jenkins told the court Myers had consumed a large amount of vodka before pinning his partner to her bed and strangling her.

One of the victim's children called the police having seen what happened. The court heard that once officers arrived, Myers would not allow them in, threatening to stab himself while holding a knife to his own throat.

Following a two-hour standoff with officers, police helped one of the children escape out of an upstairs window, Myers then allowed them into the house and he was arrested.

He went before Leeds magistrates court on December 28 where he was bailed. The court heard that, on December 31, Myers then sent the victim a number of threatening text messages, with one claiming he would "stick a knife through her head".

The court heard how the woman now suffers from anxiety, stress, a loss of self confidence and fears going out, with the prosecution adding the episode caused her mental health to go into a "downward spiral".

Reading from a victim impact statement, Ms Jenkins added: "I just want to lay in bed and sleep. I have never been scared of the unknown but this scares me."

Jane Cooper, mitigating, added Myers was heavily under the influence of alcohol at the time and was in a "difficult position mentally".

She added: "In his stand-off with the police, he was in an emotional state.

"I would submit there are reasons and grounds for rehabilitation in this case. There are issues for Daniel Myers to deal with. He needs to deal with the triggers to cause him to act in the way he did."

Sentencing Myers, Judge Tom Bayliss said: "On boxing day you violently assaulter her and damaged her house. She said you have destroyed her family.

"In the end, your behaviour has caused an impact on her that amounts to serious psychological harm."