TAXI ATTACKER BRANDON MCDONALD JAILED AFTER STRANGLING PARTNER
A violent partner has been imprisoned after assaulting his girlfriend by strangulation inside a taxi.Brandon McDonald, aged 29, lost his temper out of jealousy and restrained the woman with a headlock during a heated argument, a court was told.
The woman was so frightened she attempted to leap from the moving vehicle.
The taxi driver described the incident as the worst he had witnessed in his 22 years of service.
McDonald pleaded guilty to the charge of strangulation at Exeter Crown Court and received a 17-month sentence.
The incident occurred on December 1 of the previous year, when the couple was traveling by taxi from Brixham to Torquay, the court heard.
Prosecutor Tom Faulkner explained that their argument began over allegations that the woman was texting someone else.
As their car slowly moved through traffic in Paignton, the woman tried to open the door to escape, but McDonald grabbed her and applied a headlock.
Her legs stuck out of the vehicle, and McDonald held her around the neck for approximately 45 seconds to a minute.
When he released her, she attempted to flee once more, the prosecutor said.
McDonald then restrained her again with a headlock.
The taxi driver observed that the woman was visibly distressed.
Upon reaching Torquay, McDonald insulted the driver, calling him a 'c***,' and then left the scene without paying for the ride.
The driver noted that he recognized the couple from previous trips in which they had not paid.
He was so anxious during the journey that he considered heading to a police station but was unsure how to handle the situation.
He stated, "I've never had any incident like that in my taxi in 22 years driving." When questioned by police, McDonald described his relationship as toxic and attributed the fight to issues with drugs and money.
During the interview, he abruptly left and refused to answer further questions.
Residing with no fixed address, McDonald has a criminal record with ten previous offences.
Evie Dean, representing him in court, argued that this was his first domestic violence offence and that probation was willing to assist him under a suspended sentence.
However, Judge David Evans remarked that McDonald had previously been given multiple opportunities by the court but failed to cooperate.
