BENJAMIN FLATTERS FROM SPALDING CHARGED WITH NEW NON-FATAL STRANGULATION OFFENCE IN LINCOLN

In July 2022, a significant development in the fight against domestic abuse occurred when Benjamin Flatters, a 31-year-old resident of Dorchester Road in Spalding, became the first individual in Lincolnshire to be formally charged under the newly enacted legislation targeting non-fatal strangulation. This legal change, introduced nationwide on June 7, 2022, under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, aims to address a serious and often overlooked form of abuse that can have devastating consequences for victims.

Flatters was accused of an alleged assault involving non-fatal strangulation, which reportedly took place on June 23. Following the incident, he was taken into custody and subsequently appeared before Lincoln Magistrates Court on July 1. During the hearing, Flatters entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of non-fatal strangulation. Despite this, he admitted to three other charges: criminal damage to property, threats to damage property, and failure to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

As a result of these proceedings, Flatters was remanded into custody, and a trial for the strangulation charge has been scheduled for a later date. The introduction of the new offence under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 marks a significant step forward in legal protections for victims, as it carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. Previously, cases of strangulation might have been prosecuted under lesser charges such as actual bodily harm or common assault, which did not fully reflect the gravity of the act, especially considering that victims often show little or no physical marks.

Detective Inspector Richard Nethercott emphasized the importance of this legislative change, stating, “The new legislation is potentially life-changing and lifesaving. If found guilty of non-fatal strangulation, a perpetrator will face up to five years in prison. Along with non-fatal suffocation, it’s a form of abuse that we sadly sometimes see in a domestic setting, where a perpetrator will use it to intimidate and control their victim. It’s terrifying to endure and incredibly dangerous.”

He further highlighted the police’s commitment to tackling all forms of abuse, including these particularly insidious acts, and praised the legislation as a crucial advancement in efforts to combat violence against women and girls.

In a related incident from December 2021, Flatters, then residing in Fleet, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after an incident involving a kitchen knife. During that event, Flatters, who was staying at the Anglia Motel, became paranoid that he was being sought by others. He contacted the police but ignored their reassurances and proceeded to search the building while armed with a kitchen knife taken from another resident’s room. Witnesses reported that Flatters concealed the knife in his waistband, causing alarm among nearby individuals, including a woman and her grandson.

The court heard that Flatters raised the knife above his head in a stabbing motion at one point, although no physical violence was carried out. When police arrived, Flatters appeared paranoid and confused. He admitted to charges of affray and possessing a bladed article relating to the incident on September 17 of that year. Judge John Pini QC noted that Flatters was suffering from paranoia but acknowledged that his actions had caused fear among others in the vicinity. In addition to the 12-month sentence, Flatters was ordered to serve an extra six weeks for breaching a suspended sentence for assaulting a police officer.