(Image: The Northern Echo)
A man responded to being told a relationship was over by squeezing his partner’s neck so tightly that it caused three blood vessels to burst, a court was told.
Jonathan Ellis was said to have “completely overreacted” to his now ex-partner’s rejection of him, when she told him she wanted to end their six-month abusive relationship, in March last year.
Durham Crown Court heard that he left her struggling to breathe by his aggressive outburst and then told her not to report it to police.
Martin Towers, prosecuting, said there were two earlier assaults on the victim, both in December 2024, just two months into the relationship, each following heated rows.
Durham Crown Court was told defendant Jonathan Ellis snapped when told his partner wanted to end their tempestuous relationship
(Image: The Northern Echo)
Following the second he conceded they needed to “sort things out” and the victim went along with him, “to keep the peace”.
Mr Towers said after a relatively peaceful Christmas, further arguments took place in early 2025 and on March 17 the victim tried to speak to Ellis about his recent behaviour, telling him she had, “fallen out of love for him”.
In the incident that followed, he banged her off a door before grabbing her by the neck and pushing his thumbs into the flesh so hard that her breathing was restricted.
She was unable to speak and felt herself going red in the face, to the point where Ellis stopped, apologised to her and left.
Mr Towers told the court the relieved victim locked the door, went into the kitchen and collapsed, not because she was unconscious, but as she felt, “overwhelmed”.
The victim abided by Ellis’s instruction not to contact the police for a few days until he further threatened to kill himself at the ending of the relationship, and, at that point, she decided to report his abuse.
In her impact statement, read to the court, the victim spoke of the deep physical and emotional effect of his actions, suffering nightmares, flashbacks and trauma symptoms and she has sought help from the domestic abuse charity Harbour, as well as receiving counselling.
She suffered three burst blood vessels due to the pressure the defendant applied in the act of strangulation and now feels anxious when anything touches her neck, and avoids wearing necklaces.
The 26-year-old defendant of Millwood, Chilton, denied three counts of battery and one of intentional strangulation.
But, following a trial before magistrates, in July, he was convicted of two counts of battery and the intentional strangulation charge.
He was acquitted on the other count of battery.
The court heard he has no previous convictions but he does have a caution for battery against another former partner, dating from 2021.
Amrit Jandoo, for Ellis, said it was difficult to advance much mitigation to the court, given the defendant’s continued denials of the allegations, but he does accept he may not have been, “the best boyfriend”.
Mr Jandoo said the defendant acknowledges there were aspects of his mental health which were “not the best” and exacerbated the deterioration of the relationship.
He has also taken advice from his own GP and began counselling when the relationship ended, in March 2025.
Mr Jandoo said the defendant has since taken time to reflect and concedes some of his behaviour in the relationship was “unacceptable”.
Recorder Mark McKone said following the earlier aggressive episodes, the defendant, “completely overreacted” when he was told his partner wanted to end the relationship, threatening to kill himself and causing the injuries to her neck.
He said these offences and the earlier caution “do show you deal with arguments with girlfriends with violence”.
But the Recorder said he accepted a Probation Service assessment that the defendant poses a low risk of general reoffending, although the risk is considered to be higher with future partners.
He imposed a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a nine-month electronically monitored curfew from 7pm to 5am.
Ellis must also pay the victim £2,000 compensation at the rate of £200 per month, plus £500 court costs.
The Recorder made the defendant subject of a restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting or approaching the victim of his offending for five years.