Drunk thug strangled prison officer girlfriend in attack that has left her unable to return to work

A drunk thug launched a violent attack on his new girlfriend after downing five pints in the pub.

Shaun Donnelly, 36, kicked a bedroom door off it's hinges and grabbed his partner by her hair with one hand and around her throat with his other hand. The woman struggled to breathe and punched him, before running downstairs. But Donnelly chased her into her kitchen and pinned her up against her fridge.

The victim's teenage son saw what was happening through the window and rescued his mum from Donnelly. He had heard shouting and objects being thrown upstairs on February 25, 2023, and had taken his two younger siblings out of the house to a relative's, before he saw his mum being attacked in the kitchen.

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The son rang 999, but when the police arrived, Donnelly told them to "f*** off." Two officers stopped him from getting into his car and driving away whilst drunk. He grabbed one of them and pushed the other away, telling them that he was the victim.

On Friday, Teesside Crown Court heard that the couple got together after Donnelly did some work on the woman's home. The couple and the victim's children had enjoyed a day out in Scarborough and went to a pub in Skelton to celebrate a family birthday. Donnelly downed five pints and fell asleep in the pub. When he was woken, Albany Kidd, prosecuting, told the court, "he was in a completely different mood.

"He called her a 'f****** doyle.' He packed his bags and said he wished he had never met her."

The victim suffered a ligament damage to her hand in the attack and she is unable to continue working as as a prison officer, because of the injury. In a statement, she said that she has been told she will have arthritis in her hand before she is 40. She said that she suffered hair loss in the attack, cuts and bruises and she had to buy a new bedroom door.

Donnelly later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm; intentional strangulation; criminal damage; and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

In mitigation, Andrew Turton said that Donnelly "understands his shortcomings - that he has a short temper and alcohol makes it worse. He says he's abstained from drinking since February. He failed to contain his emotions. He's deeply remorseful."

Donnelly's new partner watched from the public gallery as Mr Turton said that she is standing by him.

Judge Richard Bennett told Donnelly: "Your relationship started weeks before. Your offences have caused physical harm, psychological harm and financial difficulty to your victim. The attack was in the presence of children.

"In your probation interview, you blame the victim. There are domestic concerns, with three call-outs in the last six months, in your current relationship." Donnelly, of Richard Street in Skelton, was jailed for two-years.

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