Dean Durham (Image: South Wales Police)
Last Updated: 2 minutes ago
A man who strangled his partner on two separate occasions – once until she blacked out – has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Dean Durham, 42, of Llantrisant Road, Graig, Pontypridd, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional strangulation and was sentenced at Newport Crown Court.
The first attack
The court heard the first assault took place on August 10, 2024, at Court Colman Manor near Bridgend. Durham had been directing “sly remarks” at his partner and making accusations against her before he pinned her against a bed with his hands wrapped around her throat.
Prosecutor Denise Osei told the court Durham pressed his knees onto the victim’s chest and squeezed her throat until she lost consciousness. She was left with bruising to her neck.
The second attack
In the early hours of March 22 last year, Durham caused a disturbance at his partner’s home in Llanharan, prompting a call to police. When officers arrived at the address, they found the victim’s children outside the property. The children told police Durham had his hands around their mother’s throat and had been strangling her.
Durham was arrested after officers entered the home, where he was found kneeling on the floor with his hands on his head.
He told police: “It’s me, it’s me, it’s me. I don’t know, I don’t know what the f*** happened. I got drunk didn’t I, I drank five cans of Strongbow, I think I got drunk.”
Mitigation
Defence barrister Alex Granville told the court that Durham’s partner had attended the hearing to support him. He said his client had not attempted to blame anyone else for his behaviour or minimise what he had done, and had since stopped drinking alcohol.
The court heard Durham has two previous convictions, the most recent being for criminal damage.
Sentencing
Sentencing Durham, Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant said he had been assessed by probation as posing a “high risk” and that his actions demonstrated a “significant loss of control” which could have led to “much graver consequences”.
Durham was sentenced to a total of 36 months’ imprisonment.
