Grimsby Crown Court heard a neighbour raised the alarm
The case was heard at Grimsby Crown court(Image: Donna Clifford/GrimsbyLive)
A Good Samaritan raised the alarm when he heard an ex-serviceman fly into a violent rage against his partner. Humberside Police officers had to restrain Shaun Bratley after he attacked his partner by strangling her and dragging her by the hair.
Bratley, 42, formerly of St Peter’s Avenue, Cleethorpes admitted an offence of intentional strangulation and assault by beating on February 7 this year at their home. Prosecuting at Grimsby Crown Court, Harry Bradford said the neighbour raised the alarm around 11pm when he heard the sound of crashing and Bratley shouting threats to “knock her out.”
Items were being smashed. Officers arrived around 11.15pm and were greeted at the door by Bratley who appeared intoxicated and admitted there had been “a domestic” and his head was “all over the place.”
He initially told officers his partner was in the shower. But when they entered, Bratley made towards her and pleaded with her that he would go to prison if she spoke to them. When police officers spoke to the woman she said she had been in bed but when she stood up she was pushed into a cupboard and had her hair pulled. Bratley grabbed her by the throat for between two to three seconds.
Mr Bradford said the woman was “distressed and upset.” She had been dragged by her hair. When she tried to call police, Bratley smashed her phone, said the prosecutor.
Mr Bradford said it was a neighbour concerned about her screams that led to the call to police. Bratley had to be restrained by the officers during his arrest, he said.
He was taken into custody. When officers attended the following day the victim had bruises clearly visible round her neck and on her shins.
Mr Bradford said Bratley had been given a two-year conditional discharge for assaulting police officers in 2025. The latest offence put him in breach of the court order.
The prosecutor said the offence was aggravated because he had tried to prevent the victim from reporting the attack. Representing himself, Bratley said the day after the attack he could not remember what he had done or said. He told the court he had taken a quantity of prescribed and non-prescribed medication, along with alcohol.
Addressing Judge Richard Woolfall, he said he had served in Northern Ireland from the age of 17 years and experienced being shot at and a target for explosions. In a letter to the judge he said he could not forgive himself for what he did to his partner.
Judge Woolfall said the former oil refinery worker had accepted he needed help with his alcohol abuse. Letters with references were read by the judge highlighting the defendant as “hard-working, honest, loyal and a positive role-model.”
His partner, who had not supported the prosecution, also submitted a letter in support of her partner. Judge Woolfall said the attack in February was six months after the imposition of a two-year conditional discharge for assaults on police officers.
“That should have been a wake up call for his addiction to alcohol,” he said. He warned if there was any further booze-fuelled violence he would receive an extended sentence. He jailed Bratley for a total of 16 months.
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