Byker bully strangled partner until she couldn't breathe after flying into a rage
Stephen Blake, of Byker, who grabbed his partner by the throat on three separate occasions, has been jailed
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveA domestic abuse thug strangled his partner until she couldn't breathe after flying into a rage because she replied to a text message from her daughter.
The woman began a relationship with Stephen Blake in January 2023, but by the summer of that year noticed he was drinking large amounts of alcohol. On August 19, she was at his flat in John Dobson Street, in Newcastle city centre, when she went to go to check her phone in his bedroom to reply to a text message from her daughter.
Blake, of St Ann's Close, Byker, Newcastle, followed her, shouting "Who's that, who's that" and she tried to explain. But he used both hands to push her backwards by the shoulders and she fell back on the bed. Neil Pallister, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "He then pinned her to the bed with his right hand and put his left hand on her throat and began to choke her.
"She felt him squeezing her neck, she could feel more and more pressure being applied to her windpipe until she couldn't breathe because of the force he was applying. Not knowing what else to do, she punched him as hard as she could in self-defence, causing him to let go."
Blake, 47, kept pushing her back on the bed and hit her twice in the face. She tried to call the police but he cut off the call but she grabbed her phone back and successfully rang the police.
In a victim impact statement after that attack, she said: "Never ever have I felt like this before. This has killed me inside, I never thought I would be in a situation like this.
"I never imagined I would end up in a relationship where I was assaulted and abused by a partner. My family warned me about him. I should have listened to them but it's too late now."
Keep up to date with all the latest court news from the North East with our free newsletter
The woman later withdrew her support for the prosecution for a time, saying she believed Blake would change and she wanted to give things another go. However he soon proved he had not changed.
On July 2 this year, while Blake was on bail for the first offence, the woman was again at his home and he had been drinking and started arguing with her. Mr Pallister said: "He broke a glass and was holding it in one hand and pushed her onto the bed.
"He put his hand around her throat but was not applying pressure on this occasion. But he was pressing his forehead into her forehead and she describes being terrified.
"The Crown accept a reckless act in the struggle caused a cut to her chin with the broken glass."
Two days later, she was at his home and he assaulted her for a third time. Mr Pallister said: "She got a call from her nephew which seemed to irritate him and he became more and more agitated and angry. She tried to calm him down.
"He threw her on the bed and put his hand around her throat and his forehead was pressing against hers. He looked straight in her eyes and said words to the effect of 'if you call the police you won't be seeing anyone and if I go to jail that will be it for you'.
"She was very upset. Feeling terrified, she punched him in the fact to get him away from her. He took her phone but she got it back and called 999.
"He went in the kitchen and when he returned he had a cut to his forehead and he said 'you did this to me'. He had injured himself."
The woman said in a further victim impact statement: "Stephen Blake knocked my confidence out and my self-esteem is at the lowest I can remember.
"I've been worried sick. It's affected my day-to-day life.
"I want to help other domestic abuse victims and don't wish what I went through to happen to anyone else."
Blake, who has 14 previous convictions, including for battery on the same victim - for which he was given a conditional discharge in May - and breaching a non molestation order on a previous partner, got two suspended sentences in 2022 and was subject to them at the time of the first assault.
He pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating. He was jailed for 30 months and given an indefinite restraining order.
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community