Sleepwalking PhD student attacked girlfriend in jealous rage after Leeds night out
A jealous student turned on his girlfriend when he woke from a sleepwalking episode, throttling her and claiming she had been looking at other men.
Jack Kendall attacked his partner in bed after they had been on night out in Leeds city centre. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up, briefly cutting off her airway.
He claimed the woman was “gaslighting” him, badgered her with unwanted calls and later tried to take an overdose of prescription medication.
The 31-year-old admitted harassment, intentional strangulation and criminal damage, but was spared immediate custody at Leeds Crown Court.
The couple had started a relationship in April of last year and were planning on moving in together.
In January the pair went out for drinks in Leeds before arriving back at the woman’s address in Leeds at around 7pm that evening.
They later went to bed but Kendall began sleeptalking and sleepwalking. He got up and went downstairs before returning to bed. The woman woke him and told him he had been sleepwalking.
He woke up and began abusing her, accusing of looking at other men when they were out in Leeds. He threw a plant pot at her, put his hands around her neck before letting go. He also damaged her phone.
He then lunged at her again, putting both hands around her neck and lifted her up, squeezing tightly, before letting go.
Meanwhile, a neighbour had overheard the 15-minute tirade of shouting and swearing from Kendall, calling the woman a “s**g” and accusing her of gaslighting him. The police were called and arrested Kendall.
During his police interview he admitted having an argument and grabbing her by the throat.
Having been released, on February 1 he contacted her on Instagram, telling he had “messed up” and did “not see the point in living anymore”.
Kendall called her from a withheld number and she told him to stop, but he continued to call until she blocked his number.
He then took 60 prescription pills and ended up in hospital. He sent the victim another message saying he would “try it again” when he gets out - taken to mean another suicide attempt.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, it was heard that the victim said felt like she had to be “in constant contact” with Kendall during their relationship.
She said she had concerns he would come to her address to attack and one time threatened to punch her so hard she would be “p****** blood for weeks”.
Kendall, of Lawrence Way, Warwickshire, has a previous conviction for battery of a previous partner dating back to 2017.
Mitigating, Lily Wildman said he had not been offered domestic-violence rehabilitation after his previous offence. She said: “This is clearly an escalation in seriousness and nature. It’s not something he has ever had the benefit of addressing.
“He does need some intervention and support from probation.”
She said he was “distraught” about what he had done and that it was “eating him alive”. The court heard that he was part-way through a three-year PhD course.
Judge Richard Mansell KC gave him an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for two years and ordered him to enrol on the Building Better Relationships programme.
He was also given 20 rehabilitation days, an indefinite length restraining order and an exclusion requirement, banning him from entering Leeds for the next two years.