Thug grabbed his partner by throat in row over texts
A VIOLENT dad pinned his girlfriend down and grabbed her by the throat before slamming her head into a wall, a court heard.
Ryan Woodier, 27, attacked the woman on October 5, 2023, following an argument over messages on his phone, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Prosecuting, Richard Pickering said the pair had been in an on-off relationship for about two years.
He said the Hemlington defendant and the woman were in her bedroom when an argument broke out over messages on his phone.
Mr Pickering said: “He got on top of her, pinned her down by the wrists.
“She shouted at him to get off but he didn’t listen.
“He then placed a hand on her neck and grabbed tighter. She scratched his face.”
The court heard the defendant got up and the woman told him he needed to leave before he grabbed her head and slammed it against the wall.
Mr Pickering said when she pushed him away he jumped on her and pushed her head into the carpet.
The court heard the woman didn’t report the attack until later as the defendant previously told her if she called the police he “would give her something to go to them for”.
She fled her home and said she suffered bruising to the ribs and a concussion. In a victim impact statement, the woman said: “This incident has made me feel extremely anxious, I feel unsafe in my own home.”
The woman now takes medication for her mental health and said her life has improved now the pair are separated.
Woodier pleaded guilty counts of common assault.
The court heard he has two previous convictions against the woman and was handed a suspended sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and threats to kill last year.
In mitigation, his barrister Michelle Turner said he has served time in prison on remand and asked for credit for his guilty pleas.
Addressing the defendant, Recorder Ayesha Smart said: “This is not your first brush with the court system having committed prior offences against the same complainant.
“This was a nasty incident.”
The Cresswell Close resident was handed an eight-week prison sentence and ordered to complete 50 hours’ unpaid work.
Recorder Smart said he has already served that time while waiting for sentence and told Woodier it’s likely he will be released from custody immediately.
She added: “This is your last chance Mr Woodier, if you commit any further offences it will be custody.
“Your suspended sentence will be activated as well.” to two