Woman hid inside storage unit to evade attacker

Darren Rowland, 39, pleaded to guilty to intentional strangulation and assault by beating

A woman locked herself in a storage unit to hide from a violent man who assaulted her in broad daylight.

Darren Rowland, 39, headbutted his victim, pulled her to the floor, hit her, and strangled her during an attack that happened in the Ashfield area of Nottinghamshire.

He pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation and assault by beating.

Rowland, of Cleveland Avenue, Draycott, was jailed for one year and four months at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.

Nottinghamshire Police said the victim managed to call the police from the unit, believing he had driven away on 29 April, but Rowland returned minutes later.

Rowland was arrested, claiming the victim had refused to give him the keys to his van, which led to a disagreement before he assaulted her.

Det Insp Steven King said: "The victim deserves a huge amount of credit for reporting this incident to police and I hope she can now move forward following the conclusion of this case."