Wanted drugs courier poured petrol over sleeping woman in terrifying Wakefield marina attack
A wanted drugs courier poured a can of petrol over his sleeping partner who begged him to stop, fearing she was about to be burned to death.
Jonathan Tryon told his partner he “had nothing left to live for” when he doused her in the fuel following an argument.
The 43-year-old was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for the sickening attack at Fairies Hill Moorings in Castleford, where they had both been living on canal boats.
Tryon was wanted on recall at the the time.
The court heard that the couple had been together since last summer. On November 1 they had both been to fill up jerrycans with fuel for their boats and returned to the marina for a Halloween party.
Prosecutor Tom Jackson told the court they both drank at the party, but Tryon then left saying he was going to bed and insisted the woman come with him.
An argument broke out and she hit him in the face, before she went to sleep in the back of her van.
She later woke up to find Tryon pouring the fuel over her. Realising what was happening, she pleaded with him to stop but he was screaming that he was going to kill her.
Mr Jackson said: “She was petrified that he had a lighter on him.”
He then grabbed her by the throat and began hitting her. She tried to run but he grabbed her again and punched and kicked her around the head as she tried to protect herself.
She was eventually able to flee and contact the police. Tryon was arrested when arriving officers found him throwing items out of her van.
He tried to run but was quickly apprehended. During his police interview he claimed she had threatened to set his items on fire and was the one who doused the van in fuel.
In a victim impact statement from the woman, read out by Mr Jackson, she said she was still badly affected by the incident, “looks over her shoulder everywhere she goes”, and had “lost everything”.
Tryon, of Duddon Drive, Barrow-in-Furness, admitted ABH and making threats to kill. He has other convictions including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, after he was caught with £25,000 worth of cocaine.
He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds.
Mitigating, James Littlehales said of the marina incident: “He accepts it was an appalling offence and he expresses remorse. It’s very much out of character because he has no convictions whatsoever for violence.”
Judge Tahir Khan KC jailed Tryon for 30 months.