Domestic abuser who strangled girlfriend, set her alight and slashed her with vodka bottle jailed for four years

21 January 2025, 14:09 | Updated: 21 January 2025, 14:40

A domestic abuser who strangled their girlfriend, set her alight and slashed her leg with a vodka bottle has been jailed for four years.

Hollie Hanson, 26, of Low Cross Court, Knottingley, subjected their partner to controlling behaviour over a four year period including preventing her from speaking with friends and family, checking her location and not allowing her to have a mobile phone. 

The sentence relates to an incident in the early hours of 2 September last year.

Hanson and the female victim had been socialising with another couple when Hanson got jealous of the victim’s relationship with one of the friends and became verbally abusive.

The victim returned to Hanson’s home to collect her belongings and was followed there by Hanson who pinned her to the bed with a hand around the victim’s neck.

During this time, Hanson made repeated threats about killing the victim.

When their friends came to the address to check on them, Hanson then assaulted the male victim by grabbing him around the neck by his chain.

Hanson was arrested on 18 September and charged the following day.

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Hanson previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges relating to the female victim, including intentional strangulation, threats to kill, wounding with intent and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship.

One assault was reported when Hanson hit the victim in the head with a vodka bottle, which resulted in the wounding with intent charge.

Hanson appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Friday and was sentenced to four years imprisonment with an extended licence period of three years and was made the subject of an indefinite restraining order. 

The case has been publicised with the victim's permission in the hope that it will highlight domestic abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships and encourage other victims to come forward.

Detective Constable Demi Stubbs, of Wakefield District Adult Safeguarding, said: “This has been a sustained attack lasting several minutes, with Hanson repeatedly making threats about killing the female victim.

Hanson then became violent toward one of their friends.

“Hanson has shown they are a dangerous individual who is prepared to use extreme levels of violence in a domestic relationship. Hanson was remanded in custody throughout this court process and has now been jailed.”

This case highlights that domestic abuse does not only occur in heterosexual intimate relationships. I would urge anyone who is in the LGBTQ+ community who is the victim of domestic abuse, whether physical or emotional, or who has concerns for a friend or family member, to please have the confidence to come forward,” DC Stubbs added.