Woman throttled and told ‘I’ll put you in a body bag’ | UK | News
Vile boyfriend who harassed and assaulted his girlfriend was jailed (Image: Derbyshire Constabulary)
A vile man who constantly abused his partner and threatened to put her in a “body bag” has been jailed. Police were alerted to the horrific incident after 33-year-old Nathan Grant, who had previously been jailed for violence, attacked a woman by punching her in the ribs, arms and legs, then grabbed the woman by the throat and squeezed until she could not breathe.
He broke his arm in the attack, and Grant later made terrifying threats over the phone, saying “I won’t stop until one of us is dead” and “I’ll put you in a body bag.” Grant carried out this brutal attack while on license after being released from prison for a previous violent crime.
The woman later told police further attacks, including an incident in which he bit her nose. She said Grant also remained controlling over her throughout the relationship. The victim added that he continued to contact her even after the relationship ended, including going to her home.
In her statement, the woman said that Grant’s abusive behavior affected her both physically and mentally and that she now lives in constant fear.
“I often think about what happened and wonder why I deserved to be treated that way. The way Nathan treated me made me feel like I wasn’t good enough,” she said.
“I couldn’t understand why he was treating me this way, so I started to believe that it was normal and that I deserved to be treated that way.
“The relationship was a whirlwind, no matter what I did it wasn’t good enough for him, he would constantly call me out and put me down. This now affected my self-confidence, I felt like I hated myself.”
“I don’t think I can regain my confidence and go and meet someone new. I still feel like I’m constantly looking over my shoulder and living in fear. I feel like I have to rebuild myself.”
“I’m definitely not there yet and I’m not the same person I was before my relationship with Nathan. I feel like the relationship has changed me and I feel like I’ll never be the person I was before.”
A day after Grant broke the woman’s arm, he was arrested in Nottinghamshire and subsequently charged and taken into custody.
The man, of Collingwood Road, Long Eaton, admitted two counts of strangulation with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and using controlling and coercive behavior at Derby Crown Court on April 13.
At sentencing on July 20, he was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, with a three-year extended sentence for dangerousness. He was also given a restraining order banning him from having any contact with the woman.
Detective Staff Inspector Lucy Taylor, who is leading the investigation, said Grant was “clearly a man of a violent temper and who, despite serving a prison sentence, did not see the mistakes he had made”.
He continued: “I can only imagine how scared he must have been and how difficult it would have been for him to tell anyone what had happened to him.
“However, she showed incredible courage throughout this process to report him and I am grateful for her support as we work to bring him to justice.
“I encourage anyone experiencing any form of domestic violence to come forward and report it. We will listen without judgment and support you throughout this process.”
If you are a victim of domestic abuse or know someone who is, there are a number of ways to report your concerns. You can call the police on 101 or report crimes via police websites.
The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available 24 hours a day for support and guidance on 0808 2000 247.
