Warhammer fan sees red while cutting girlfriend's hair in row over miniatures

A Leeds man who attacked his partner and squeezed her neck in a row over his Warhammer collectables has narrowly avoided prison.

Kyle Gallagher, 31, turned on his partner of three years after cutting her hair and spotting their young daughter was playing with the items. Leeds Crown Court heard on Wednesday the woman said their relationship "got worse" when Gallagher moved in with her and she fell pregnant.

Prosecutor Gareth Henderson-Moore said: "At around seven months into her pregnancy things became notably worse."

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The court heard on August 5, 2022 the couple were at home when they had an argument over her searching for her ex-partner online but the woman later asked him to cut her hair. Mr Henderson-Moore said: "While doing this, the defendant went into the house. He found their child playing with one of his Warhammer collectables.

"He became angry about this and an argument then began about that and when they went back inside that continued. It became more heated and he pushed her by the forehead with such force it caused her neck to snap backwards, causing immediate pain."

The woman, the court heard, went into the bathroom to call Gallagher's support worker but heard him on the phone to who she was presumed was them, saying, "If it was you and she spoke to you the way she spoke to me you would hit her."

It was said the woman left the bathroom and Gallagher, of Roundhay Roads, "grabbed her by the back of her neck and squeezed for a few seconds."

Mr Henderson-Moore said: "She pushed back and he let go of her and said 'I should punch you to knock some sense into you.'"

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The woman went back into the bathroom to call the police, who attended and arrested Gallagher. The court heard in his interview he told officers the woman had attacked him in the garden and scratched his arm and neck. He was charged with intentional strangulation but went on to admit assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the day of his trial, which was accepted by the prosecution.

Mr Henderson-Moore told the court Gallagher had nine previous convictions for 12 offences on his record including battery, failing to comply with court orders, common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He had no previous convictions from the last four years.

In a victim impact statement, the woman told how the offence had affected her life and said: "Since the offence my anxiety has worsened. Whenever I leave the house I'm constantly looking over my shoulder in case the defendant is there. I only go where I need to in case I see him or his friends and family."

The woman said she has had threats from Gallagher and his family and will not leave the house alone. She added: "My self-confidence since the end of the relationship is non-existent. Mr Henderson-Moore said: "She has seizures and says over the last two years has had significantly more which has resulted in her going to hospital."

The woman added that her "trust has been broken" and "it will take me a very long time to trust anyone in the future in terms of a future partner...I want to be able to walk out of the house without looking over my shoulder. I want me and my family to be free without the worry of threats and I want to be able to leave free and happy without the worry of him turning up and causing extra stress to us."

Mitigating, Jordan Millican told the court a pre-sentence report and two letters had been provided. He said: "I'm going to ask for a suspended sentence order."

Mr Millican said dad-of-three Gallagher was the sole carer for one of his children, and had been physically abused from the age of 15. He said: "It is inescapable that there are relevant previous convictions. During the period between 2016 and 2019 the defendant was a completely different person to the young man that he is now.

"In his own words, he was 'Off his head, off the rails' and on drink and drugs and a combination of both. Whiskey, or simply whatever poison was placed before him, he was drinking. He took a cocktail of drugs including cannabis and cocaine - sometimes at the same time and mixed with alcohol."

Mr Millian said Gallagher had "strong personal mitigation given the steps that he has taken to move himself away from a life of drink and drugs." He said he has repeatedly sought help for his mental health from a number of GPs and has an appointment in the new year.

The barrister added: "The court can be satisfied there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation."

His Honour Judge Crowson made Gallagher the subject of a two-year sentence, suspended for two years. He told him: "You have previous convictions which include many domestic violence."

The judge also ordered Gallagher to undertake the Building Better Relationships course, 30 days rehabilitation activity requirements and a 16-week curfew between the hours of 9pm to 7am. He was also made the subject of a restraining order until further order. The judge asked him: "Are you prepared to do these things?" To which he replied: "100 per cent your honour."

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