Possessive Leeds man called woman up to 80 times a day wanting her to drop charges
A “possessive and jealous” man contacted a woman up to 80 times a day and made threats unless she dropped charges of violence against him.
Reece Brook demanded to know who she was seeing and attacked her in her own house.
The 22-year-old was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week.
He has been in a “casual relationship” with the woman, but from the beginning he would constantly ask whom she was speaking with on the phone.
But in November of last year, she came home after a night out and went to bed, but later woke to find Brook beside her.
She challenged him, and did not know how he gained access to her home, but he said he was there to make sure she did not bring another man home.
He later refused to leave and an argument ensued. He then demanded to know who had messaged her on Snapchat. He grabbed her by her neck with both hands and strangled her.
Brook eventually let go and a short time later hit her with a crutch, prosecutor Maleka Akuany said.
He later rang her several times and became abusive on the phone. He was arrested, bailed and ordered not to contact her.
But on December 1 she received a call from him on an unknown number.
He threatened to kill himself if she called the police again or dated other men, before making other threats.
He would ring her on a daily basis making threats to come to her home.
Again she reported it to police but he persevered with up to 80 calls and texts a day.
He was re-arrested on December 15 but refused to answer police questions.
Brook, of Nutting Grove Terrace, Farnley, admitted strangulation, assault, stalking and witness intimidation. He has no previous convictions.
He appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand.
Mitigating, Glenn Parsons said: “He is at something of a crossroads in his life.
“He desperately wants to change, he has had 16 weeks in custody and does not want to go back to that.”
He said Brook had a job as a roofer to return to, and asked the judge to give him one chance to prove he can stay out of trouble.
But Judge Christopher Batty said it required immediate custody.
He said: “You have shown yourself to be a jealous and obsessive man. You were constantly accusing her of infidelity as though she was a possession of yours.”
He pointed to Brook’s “campaign of contact”, and his guilty pleas only on the day he was due to stand trial, waiting to see if the complainant turned up to court.
He gave him a 26-month sentence, and a 10-year restraining order.