Leeds mum strangled and threatened to kill husband at Rothwell home

Claire Platt, 46, of Haighside Close in Rothwell, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday for one count of strangulation and one of actual bodily harm.

On October 1 last year “following an extended argument that had commenced the previous day” Platt’s partner attended their address to pick up his clothes, which she had thrown outside.

For the prosecution, Ella Fornsworth said that when he walked in Platt “grabbed him by the throat with two hands and pinned him against the wall in the hallway”. She “stuck her nails in to his throat” and his breathing was restricted for approximately 20 seconds.

Ms Fornworth said: “He remembers her telling him she was going to kill him.”

The barrister said that police attended the premises and found Platt “upstairs crying”. After being arrested she provided a prepared statement to the police, in which she accused her partner of having an affair.

Platt’s partner provided a victim impact statement in which he said he’d been left “in complete shock”.

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Representing Platt, Mike Walsh said that the relationship had been “under strain for a good period of time” and that there was a “history of violence in the relationship”. He said there had been “multiple call-outs” to police in the past, with each having been accused of attacking the other.

He added that Platt was in full time employment and urged the judge not to sentence her to an immediate custodial sentence.

A pre-sentence report found that Platt had “not shown excessive remorse” but “does regret her actions”.

Platt, who has no previous convictions, was found guilty of the two charges following a trial.

Recorder Samuel Green KC sentenced Platt to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.