Sunderland man strangled girlfriend with towel and dragged her down the stairs

A man who dragged his partner down the stairs during a terrifying campaign of abuse has been locked up.

Danny Matuszek and his partner decided to give things another try after frequent arguments and were living together at her house in April this year.

However, Newcastle Crown Court heard that the terrified victim needed hospital treatment to have a wound glued back together following an attack by the 25-year-old.

Emma Hughes, prosecuting, told the court the woman had been sitting on her bed when Matuszek suddenly entered the room and wrapped a towel around her neck with force.

She blacked out as a result but when she woke the defendant asked what she was doing and told her he was only joking.

Just weeks later on the 5th of May, the pair had been out drinking in Sunderland when they ended up back home and an argument broke out.

Ms Hughes said: "The defendant then grabbed her by the hair, pulled her down the stairs and punched her all over her body.

"The complainant realised she was bleeding from her head and again pleaded with the defendant to stop."

Later the same night, he smashed three televisions and two doors which came off the hinges.

The victim fled to Matuszek's cousin's address but was pursued by the defendant.

He then helped her clean her wounds in the bath before taking her to hospital for treatment. The court heard she needed to have a wound glued shut but didn't tell staff about the attack.

Matuszek struck again on the 18th of May when he returned home from a drinking session and checked messages on the victim's mobile phone.

Ms Hughes said: "He took her telephone and began reading through the complainant's messages and became angry at what he was reading.

"He stamped on the phone and tried to snap it in half."

The court heard that the following day, Matuszek, of Gainborough Road, Sunderland, started sending messages to the woman threatening to smash up cars belonging to her family members.

He also wrote: "You will see the real me tonight" and the "old me is back."

The defendant was arrested and later convicted of non-fatal strangulation, causing actual bodily harm, two counts of criminal damage and one count of sending a malicious communication.

Ms Recorder Sellars told him: "I'm sentencing you for a number of offences committed over a relatively short period of time of four to five weeks.

"The catalogue of offences you committed against (the complainant) were nasty and without any justification.

"On the 4th of April 2023, without any argument or prior incident, you took a towel and wrapped it around the neck of the complainant with who you had been in a relationship for eight months.

"On the 5th of April, after an evening out you returned home to her home and accused her of cheating on you and almost immediately assaulted her by grabbing her hair, pulling her down the stairs and punching her repeatedly causing bruising to her body and a cut to her head which needed to be glued."

The judge acknowledged the other offending took place in the weeks that followed and told the defendant only a sentence of immediate custody could be justified.

She sent him to prison for one year and eight months.

Helen Towers, defending, told the court Matuszek retained the support of his father who had offered him the prospect of employment subject to his release.

He was also issued with a two-year restraining order against the woman.