A PhD student strangled his girlfriend and left her fearing for her life after she woke him up when he had been sleepwalking. Jack Kendall, 31, and his partner had been out for drinks in Leeds city centre on January 4 this year before he had turned violent.
Leeds Crown Court heard on Tuesday that when they returned home and went to sleep, Kendall, of Lawrence Way in Warwickshire, had started to sleep walk and sleep talk.
Prosecutor Katie Welford said: "She woke him to tell him he was sleepwalking. He woke and started to shout at her and accused her of looking at other men when they were out. He threw items including a plant pot around the property. The defendant told her to sleep upstairs and she did, but shortly after returned when requested by him.
"He shouted at her for around an hour and strangled her...He then grabbed her around the throat again and lifted her up...His hands were squeezing her neck and she thought she was going to pass out. He let her go and was shouting at her to breathe properly."
The court heard a neighbour was woken close to midnight by shouting, and heard Kendall calling the woman a "s***" and also heard him shouting: "Stop gaslighting me."
Ms Welford said: "They had heard panting and believed someone was gasping for air. The neighbour became concerned for her safety and called the police. Shortly after, the police arrived and the defendant appeared and he said they had been out and had and argument and he had smashed some plant pots. She disclosed he had grabbed her by the throat."
The court heard Kendall was arrested but went on to continue to contact the woman, telling her over Instagram that he "didn't see the point of anything." He also said: "By the time you read this I will probably be gone."
It was heard the woman managed to contact a mutual friend, who in turn contacted Kendall's father. A day later, while in hospital after attempting to take his own life, Kendall messaged the woman again,. this time saying: "When I get out of hospital I'm going to try again."
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The court heard Kendall was arrested again and went on the admit intentional strangulation, damaging property and harassment without violence. He already had an offence of battery on his record in relation to a previous partner.
In a victim impact statement, the woman told the court she is "anxious a lot of the time" and has struggled to sleep, often waking from nightmares in tears. She said "I'm fearful of being on my own. I'm scared he will break in and come and hurt me. I am jumpy whenever someone knocks on my door.
"I've found myself depressed for many weeks and still cry every day. The only thing that has brought me comfort is knowing he has not been able to enter Leeds except for court matters...It has been better not having any contact from him."
The woman told how Kendall had previously threatened to "punch her so hard he would be p****** blood for weeks." She added: "I don't believe he is remorseful for his actions, just that he got caught. I thought I was going to die and when he let go of me I was so dizzy I almost collapsed."
Mitigating, Lily Wildman, said Kendall does not want any contact with his victim and does not oppose a restraining order. She said: "In the pre-sentence report it says a consequence of any criminal conviction in any event leaves him with a lot of uncertainty of his PhD. Much of the outcome of his education is dependant on his conviction."
Ms Wildman said at his last conviction in 2017, Kendall was not referred to the Building Better Relationships programme until the expiry of his community order, meaning he could not enrol. She added: "While it is clear this offence is an escalation in seriousness in nature that is not something he has had the benefit of addressing in terms of thinking and in terms of risk."
His Honour Judge Mansell KC made Kendall the subject of an 18-month sentence suspended for 18 months. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order and banned from entering Leeds for the next two years.
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