Drunken man strangled ex-partner and kicked her in the head in 'sustained' attack

Trevor Moor carried out the serious attack on the vulnerable woman in her Hartlepool home in retaliation at her throwing a plastic cup at him during an argument.

Teesside Crown Court heard Moor, 51, pushed the woman, who he had been in a relationship with for at least 14 years, against a fridge when she accused him of going through a visitor’s coat to steal which he denied.

Mr Dryden, prosecuting, said: “The defendant started to strangle her with both hands so she could not breathe.

"At one point she ended up on the floor in the passage where she was kicked to the head by the defendant numerous times.”

When the police arrived they described Moor as ‘extremely intoxicated’.

He had red grazes on the knuckles of one hand while the woman was left with a large black and blue egg-shaped lump above her left eye.

Mr Dryden said the victim said in a statement she wanted to be rid of Moor and to move on with her life and be happy.

Moor initially denied causing the injuries to her saying she had fallen down the stairs.

But he later pleaded guilty to a charge of causing actual bodily harm in the 4am assault on October 10.

John Nixon, defending, said it was a ‘volatile’ relationship and Moor had also experienced drug, alcohol and mental health issues.

Mr Nixon said: "He tried to stop something from happening but unfortunately it escalated and this is the outcome.

“He realises this relationship is well and truly over.”

Judge Howard Crowson reduced the sentence from 15 months prison to 12 months to reflect inmates being locked up for 23 hours a day due to Covid restrictions.

He said: “This was sustained attack upon a woman who was, relative to you, a vulnerable victim.

"You clearly intended to cause her greater harm than was in fact sustained.”

Moor, of no fixed address, was also ordered to stay away from the victim under a five-year restraining order.

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