Sunderland man choked his girlfriend and subjected her to terror drive over money under PlayStation

A man who choked his girlfriend and put her through a horrifying terror drive has been put behind bars. 

James Leonard, who had been drinking and taking drugs, hid money belonging to his partner eight days before Christmas 2023 and shoved her to the ground after she asked where it was. 

Newcastle Crown Court heard he then put his hands around her throat and forced her to take him on a car journey where he grabbed at the wheel while she was driving. 

The victim, who bravely read an impact statement in court herself, has been left traumatised by the attack and said she no longer feels safe in Ryhope, Sunderland, where she grew up. 

She told the court she is now moving out of the area where all of her friends and family are and added: "I wonder how my life has come to this when I haven't done anything wrong."

Prosecutor Jane Foley told the court Leonard had moved £450 belonging to the victim from the place where she kept it and put it under his Playstation. 

After revealing where the money was, Leonard pushed the woman to the floor and she started to become "terrified". 

Miss Foley said: "The defendant proceeded to grab her by the throat and pinned her to the fridge. His grip was tight and she was struggling to breathe. 

"She began to hit him in the hope he would release his grip."

The court heard Leonard did eventually release his grip but then grabbed her throat again and even tried for a third time. 

Miss Foley said the victim was then ordered to drive Leonard to Washington, without explanation. 

Leonard took the victim's laptop into the car with him, which he snapped and threw out of the window during the journey. 

He also punched and smashed the touchscreen in the car and stole her mobile phone. 

Miss Foley added: "There were times when the defendant pulled at the steering wheel, which caused the car to straddle both lanes. 

"Eventually he asked her to stop the car so he could get out."

Leonard, 40, of Ravenswood Road, Sunderland, admitted assault by beating, intentional strangulation, theft of the phone, theft of the money and damaging property in relation to the laptop and car touchscreen. 

Mr Recorder Toby Hedworth KC sentenced Leonard to 18 months behind bars. 

The Recorder said grabbing a person's throat is "extremely dangerous" and added: "It can be, in a matter of seconds, where it moves from causing no permanent physical harm to potentially killing someone."

Jamie Adams, defending, said Leonard has a good employment record and has work available to him. 

Mr Adams added: "He expresses, through me, utter remorse for what he has done.

"He accepts totally the wrongfulness of what he did that night. He can't believe he actually brought himself to behave like that."