Man who strangled pregnant girlfriend jailed

Damien Kelly was jailed for two years

A man who strangled his pregnant girlfriend while holding her "prisoner in her own home" has been jailed for two years.

Damien Kelly, 29, pinned his partner to the bed with his hands around her neck for up to five minutes at the end of a 10-hour ordeal, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The court heard he had previously been violent and abusive during their seven-month-long relationship and the woman was six weeks pregnant at the time of the February attack.

Kelly, of no fixed address, admitted strangulation.

The relationship had been good at the beginning but took a turn in November after the woman confronted him for messaging other girls, prosecutor Laura Miller said.

He then started becoming abusive and violent, culminating with the attack in South Shields, on 1 February, the court heard.

'Stormed into bedroom'

The argument that night began when Kelly said he was going out to get crack cocaine and the woman told him she would leave him, Ms Miller said.

Later that night, Kelly grabbed her by the throat and pushed her against a wall for about two minutes during which time she was barely able to breathe, the court heard.

The woman fled but because of the cold weather she returned to the home, which was in her name, the court was told.

Kelly initially would not let her in but when he did he shouted at her and played loud music keeping her awake.

At about 05:00 GMT he "stormed" into the woman's bedroom and demanded she make him breakfast, then slapped her when she refused, Ms Miller said.

He climbed on top of her and held her against the bed with his hands around her throat as she struggled to try and get away.

'Prisoner in own home'

Later that morning, police officers knocked on the door but Kelly ordered the woman not to answer and give him time to get away.

In a statement read to the court, the woman said she was scared of Kelly and did not want to be with him.

But she later retracted her statement and said she wanted to give him a chance to be a father to their son, although the child has been taken into care.

In mitigation, the court heard Kelly had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and ADHD, was hard-working and had had a "troubled" childhood.

Assistant Judge Advocate Thomas Mitchell said the woman was "vulnerable" and Kelly had made her "feel like a prisoner in her own home".

Kelly was jailed for 19 months for the strangulation offence and five months for breaching a suspended prison sentence for possessing a knife imposed in July 2023.