Dad-of-two avoids jail after strangling partner and punching daughter

Benn Williams, 31, first attacked the mother of his two children in April last year after an argument broke out between him and some friends.

Preston Crown Court heard that when the couple returned home from a night round at his sister’s house, his partner of eight years called one of the people Williams had been arguing with.

Taking a dislike to this, Williams grabbed her by the throat and dragged her towards the vestibule before slamming her against a dog crate.

Prosecuting, David Clarke said: “She felt her rib crack and she fell to the floor.

“He called her ‘pathetic’ and punched her in the middle of her chest.

“She told him she couldn’t breathe and he tried to persuade her that he hadn’t actually done anything, and when that failed, he smacked her against the kitchen wall and again she fell to the floor.”

Mr Clarke told the court that his victim did not go to the hospital at this point due to fears that social services would become involved because of concerns about their children.

Their relationship ended, but things came to a head in September.

Mr Clarke said that on September 7, around 9pm, Williams attended his victim’s home address, walked through the front door, grabbed her by the throat and pulled her from the kitchen counter where she was sitting.

He said: “He shouted at her and called her a little slag and asked for his clothes.

“She was with a male friend at the time and he went to get Williams’ clothes from upstairs but as he came back down he could see the pair arguing and tried to get in the middle of them.

“She pushed both of them out and went into the living room with the two children.”

Around 10 minutes later she heard a knock at the front door and thought it was her friend, so opened it to let him in. However, it was Williams, and he forced his way into the property and grabbed her by the throat again.

Mr Clarke went on: “Grabbing her by the throat was something he was doing on a regular basis as a form of control as he could lift her off the floor.

“He pushed her into the living room and their eldest daughter began screaming.

“He continued to push her against a wall and held her up by the throat.

“She kicked out to try and stop him and he threw her into a pile of the children’s toys.”

At this point the court heard that the children were screaming, with the elder of the two going over to her father, kicking him and telling him to stop hitting her mum.

He then dragged her into the kitchen and threw her against the kitchen worktop where she cracked her head.

Mr Clarke said Williams then picked up their three-year-old daughter and said he was going to take her.

“His victim took the child back off him and as he went to punch her, he hit the child in the face,” Mr Clarke said, “with pictures taken at the scene showing she had a black eye.”

Not long after, the victim’s friend returned with another man and Williams left.

A neighbour had heard the commotion and called the police and Williams was arrested, but he denied any wrongdoing to the police, saying, “like I am going to hit my own daughter”.

A pre-sentence report read to the court explained how Williams had been in the throes of an alcohol and cocaine addiction following the death of his father, but since being on remand had taken steps to reconcile his behaviour.

In sentencing, Judge Simon Medland said: “What you did was absolutely unacceptable. You can’t behave to other people in your life in that very aggressive and domineering way.

“I am sure, to your shame, you ended up clouting your little girl causing a great big black eye, but, you are to be treated as a man of previous good character.”

Williams, of Coates Avenue, Barnoldswick, was handed a 14 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to adhere to a 120 day alcohol monitoring programme.

He was also handed a restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex-partner apart from to agree access to his children.