A thug who throttled a woman he met on a dating website has become one of the first people in the UK to be jailed under a new non-fatal strangulation law. Benjamin Flatters, 32, launched the violent attack six weeks after meeting the victim on Tinder at her home in Spalding, Lincolnshire, on June 23.
A court heard he placed his hands around her throat at the top of the stairs before continuing the assault in her bedroom, which lasted up to five minutes. She eventually managed to flee the house and asked a neighbour to ring 999 while Flatters ranted about going back to prison and threatened to burn the house down.
Police arrested Flatters at the scene and found the woman with red marks around her neck, although she had not suffered any serious injuries. Flatters, of Spalding, pleaded guilty to non-fatal strangulation, threatening to set the woman's home on fire and criminal damage at Lincoln Crown Court.
He was jailed was 34 months, ordered to serve a further 12 months on extended licence following his release and slapped with a 10 year restraining order on Wednesday (August 24).
The offence of non-fatal strangulation was introduced nationally on June 7 to protect victims of domestic abuse.
Victims of strangulation may be left with little or no physical marks meaning a charge of actual bodily harm or common assault may have been applied previously. However it was agreed this did not reflect the serious nature of the crime and new legislation means offenders can face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Lincolnshire Police said it was the county's first case brought under the new legislation, which it described as "potentially life-changing". The court also heard Flatters had a number of previous convictions for which he been jailed for.
In December last year, he was caged for a year after admitting affray and possession of a knife when he left guests terrified by wandering around a hotel with a blade. Flatters also injured two women when he lost his temper during a row with his girlfriend and threw a glass across a busy nightclub in February 2018.
Detective Chief Inspector Reid Martin, from the force's PVP (protecting vulnerable persons) unit said: “Domestic abuse is absolutely a priority for Lincolnshire Police and for the perpetrator in this case to receive a 34-month custodial sentence sends a strong message to perpetrators.
"I hope that the victim in this case feels a sense of justice for what they went through. I also hope that this encourages more victims to come forward and report domestic abuse.”
