NOTTINGHAM MAN SENTENCED FOR STRANGULATION AND DOMESTIC ASSAULT
A 48-year-old Nottingham man, Adam McFarlane, strangled his step-daughter after taking cocaine and consuming alcohol while she was trying to prevent an argument between him and her mother.Nottingham Crown Court heard how McFarlane then picked up an ornament shaped like a dog’s head, which the victim feared he intended to use on her.
He then proceeded into the kitchen of their Netherfield home, where he grabbed a kitchen knife while his stepdaughter called the police upstairs.
Despite all this, neither she nor her mother wish to pursue a restraining order against him, with the mother even writing a letter of reference to the judge.
The judge, sitting in the public gallery to support McFarlane, handed him a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 21 months, with additional orders for alcohol monitoring for six months and to attend 25 rehabilitation sessions.
The judge emphasized the danger of strangulation, stating: 'Strangulation can easily cause death, it is dangerous and has historically been under-recognized in the court system until recently and so custodial sentences for such dangerous behaviour are inevitable.
The alcohol and cocaine you had taken is an aggravating factor.' He further noted McFarlane's previous criminal record, which includes 29 offences over 14 court appearances, most of which are domestic burglaries dating back over 10 years.
The prosecuting lawyer mentioned that McFarlane and his partner had been together for around 14 years and that at about 10 pm on May 10 of the previous year, McFarlane returned home after drinking, leading to an argument.
During the quarrel, the stepdaughter heard shouting and called for her mother to stop.
McFarlane then grabbed her by the neck, holding her for around 15 seconds, causing her to struggle for breath.
He then threw her to the floor onto her mother, refused to leave when asked, pushed her in the chest, and picked up a large dog-shaped ornament, which she believed he intended to use against her.
She tried to fight back as her vision blurred.
McFarlane then went downstairs and seized a knife; the stepdaughter called the police while her mother prevented him from going upstairs.
Police arrived nearby, arrested him, and McFarlane pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation and assault by beating.
His mitigation argued that he and his partner had lost a young daughter and had supported each other through difficult times.
McFarlane said his recall of the incident was vague.
As part of his sentence, he was ordered to wear an alcohol monitoring tag and attend rehabilitation sessions.
The victims, despite the violence, did not want additional restraining orders against him.
