On-the-run rapist from Sunderland choked pregnant girlfriend until she blacked out

Glen Melville, who has served a prison sentence for rape, was wanted for breach of sex offender notification requirements and bail conditions when he caused bruising to the woman's arms after he grabbed, pushed and pinned her down during the first attack on September 29.

Just hours later, the 37-year-old grabbed the victim by the throat until she blacked out and threatened to kill her.

His victim told a court that she is now ‘very frightened’ of Melville after she was attacked twice in a matter of hours.

The woman said in a statement: "I am pregnant and he has grabbed me by the throat.

"I am now very frightened of him."

At Newcastle Crown Court Melville, of no fixed address, admitted breach failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements and two charges of common assault.

Judge Penny Moreland sentenced him to two years behind bars with a five year restraining order to keep him away from the woman.

The judge told him: "You said you were going to choke her out and that's exactly what you did. You seized her by the neck and you choked her until she passed out."

Judge Moreland said Melville, who was convicted of two offences of rape and jailed for six years in 2009, poses "a serious risk to any woman who is your partner" and could cause "very serious harm".

The court heard at the time of the attacks, which happened in Sunderland, Melville, who had to visit the police every seven days as a result of his lifelong sex offender registration, had made no contact with them for over a month.

He had also failed to answer bail in August for a separate offence.

Melville had carried out the first attack after his partner said she had been assaulted by people who had found out about his criminal past.

Prosecutor Neil Pallister told the court when the woman said he was going to ring the police Melville, who knew he was 'wanted', grabbed the woman by the arms, pushed her back onto a bed and pinned her down.

Mr Pallister said: "She was shouting for him to get off. Instantly she described feeling pain to her arms as he held her down."

The second attack happened hours later, when the woman said she was going to leave the house.

Mr Pallister said: "The defendant said to her words to the effect 'if you leave the house I will follow you and do you in, I will choke you out'.

"She replied saying 'do it'.

"She didn't expect him to assault her. He grabbed her by the throat with his right hand, saying 'I will ******* kill you'.

"The victim states the next thing she knew she woke up on the floor."

Fiona Lamb, defending, told the court that Melville accepts he "needs some help" and that the relationship is over.

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