Newport Crown Court (Image: Anthony Morgan / Alamy)
Last Updated: 3 minutes ago
A 20-year-old man who strangled and suffocated his girlfriend during separate attacks – and left a visible handprint on another woman after slapping her – has been given a suspended prison sentence at Newport Crown Court.
Benjamin Bannan, of Hillside Terrace, Bedwas, was handed 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months by Judge Celia Hughes. He was also ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and was made subject to a five-year restraining order.
Attacks on his partner
The court heard Bannan had been in a relationship with his second victim for several months before he became volatile towards her.
On June 18, 2024, he chased her through their home before placing both hands around her throat and strangling her. The pressure on her neck was so severe she was unable to fight back, shout, or scream. Bannan then simply stood up and returned to work.
Ten days later, on June 28, the pair were in bed when Bannan became angry after she complimented a friend. When she told him to get over it, he climbed on top of her, ran his thumb across her throat, and dug his nails in – leaving cuts.
She tried to push him off and screamed for help, but Bannan responded by placing his hands over her mouth. She struggled to breathe and was only able to free herself by kicking him and pulling his ear.
Bannan then looked out of the window and said he felt bad. He attempted to comfort her but she pushed him away. She was left with pain to her throat and red marks which she concealed with a thick necklace.
Bannan pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation and intentional suffocation.
Assault on first victim
A separate victim was slapped on the buttock by Bannan with such force that a handprint was left on her skin. She complained about the level of pain she experienced, but Bannan denied the assault and the matter went to trial at Newport Crown Court, where he was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Victim impact
Prosecutor Paul Hewitt read a victim personal statement from the first woman to the court. She said: “My anxiety has gotten much worse since the incident happened. It got worse as the court date approached and made me feel more anxious and worried about what the outcome would be…
“I could not handle the anxiety I was feeling while out on my own. If I saw someone similar to the defendant I panicked and left straight away. I struggled to sleep at night, worrying about what would happen and worried about the repercussions as I’m worried the defendant will come back for revenge.”
Bannan’s partner also provided a statement in which she said: “I was upset and breathless with anxiety. I could not understand why he was trying to continue. I was prescribed anti depressants for anxiety and low moods. I started to take anti depressants but they didn’t agree with me and weren’t helping me. I am unable to sleep because of Ben and I sometimes dream about him. I have been reliving what happened which has contributed to sleep problems.
“He was a very angry person and it seemed like he had some anger issues. I felt he was dangerous. I felt in danger when he strangled me. I was in tears and had scratches on my neck, I’m left with a faint scar.”
Mitigation and sentence
The court heard Bannan has no previous convictions other than a driving offence. His representative, Alex Greenwood, told the court his client was a young man who had been struggling with mental health and suicidal tendencies. He said Bannan has since addressed his drug issues and is seeking employment.
