Yahoo News Blyth mum strangled and punched by her baby's dad in frightening attack
A mum was strangled and punched by her baby's dad during a frightening attack in her own home.
Michael Nixon went to his partner's home in Blyth, Northumberland, the early hours of November 11 last year. She was in her bedroom and Nixon began shouting at her almost immediately, accusing her of cheating on him.
Rachel Kelly, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "He pinned her head to the bed and covered her mouth before squeezing her neck then covering her mouth again. While he was doing this he was calling her a bad mother.
"He left the room but then turned around and tried to grab her face. She pushed him away and he fell back but then came back towards her.
"While she was on the floor, he continued to assault her and tried to tie her legs with a dressing gown cord before pushing her to the floor and covering her mouth."
Nixon then took her phone and responded to a text she had received from a neighbour who was concerned for her after hearing the commotion. He left he house briefly with her phone and keys before returning and resuming the attack.
Miss Kelly said: "This time he charged towards her. They began grappling and she tried to push him out of the door. He pushed her over the sofa and held her face before punching her."
The woman was left with a cut lip and bruising to her chin. She said in a victim impact statement: "I'm absolutely gutted Michael attacked me in this way. He has never been like this before so I was really surprised and really scared." She said the attack has also impacted her children, including a one-year-old she has with Nixon who was in the house at the time.
Nixon, 25, of Holystone Avenue, Blyth, who has 146 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for two years and three months and given a five-year restraining order.
Liam O'Brien, defending, said the domestic assault was out of character for Nixon, who became upset during the hearing. Mr O'Brien said he has "demonstrated significant and genuine remorse" and added that Nixon has spent more than seven months remanded in custody, during which he has done good work to deal with his substance abuse
