MAN STRANGLED GIRLFRIEND AS SHE HELD BABY IN HER ARMS
A man who assaulted his girlfriend by strangulation and physical violence has been sentenced to prison.The incident took place after an argument between Hewitt and his partner, which resulted in her packing his bags in preparation for his departure the following morning.
In an alleyway close to their residence, Hewitt assaulted her by wrapping his hands around her throat until she experienced visual speckles and felt herself being lifted off the ground.
The assault continued indoors, where Hewitt, after placing their baby on the sofa, delivered six or seven punches to her head.
In October 2022, Newcastle Crown Court was told that Hewitt suffered bruises and scratches from the assault.
Prosecutor Matthew Hopkins recounted that Hewitt took the house keys and confronted the woman outside.
He said: "In the alleyway by the house, Hewitt used both hands to choke her, squeezing until she nearly lost consciousness and saw speckles.
She was lifted from the ground." The woman, who was holding a baby at the time, was terrified as Hewitt appeared to threaten her serious harm.
She responded by hitting Hewitt, who then released her but warned her to wait as they went inside.
Once inside, he placed the baby on the sofa and attacked her with multiple punches, causing her to fear hospitalization.
Hewitt, aged 24 of Travers Street, Houghton, insisted during police questioning that he acted in self-defense against her attack.
He was convicted of assault and intentional strangulation after a trial in a magistrates court.
A statement from the victim, read in court, detailed her ongoing terror of Hewitt harming her again.
Defence counsel Claire Anderson highlighted Hewitt's fears of imprisonment, his employment prospects, and his clean record.
She also noted he has voluntarily completed a relationship program, and his lawyer argued that incarceration wouldn't significantly lower his risk of future violence.
The judge, Andrew Latimer, sentenced Hewitt to 20 months in prison and imposed a five-year restraining order, underlining the seriousness of the assault.
