Abusive former soldier strangled his partner

FRIGHTENING ATTACKS LEFT VICTIM ‘IN FEAR OF MY LIFE'

- By ROB KENNEDY Court reporter [e-mail]

A FORMER soldier left his partner fearing he would kill her as he squeezed her neck while issuing death threats.

Martin Miller left the woman struggling for breath as he strangled her on two separate occasions in frightening attacks.

A court heard Miller, who has PTSD as a result of his service in the armed forces, had been in a short relationship with the victim when he turned violent. On November 22 last year, they had been to pubs in Newcastle and around 8pm they ended up back at his home, where she was intending to stay the night.

Joe Hedworth, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: “Within five minutes of arriving, the defendant picked up a bottle of rum and smashed it against his living room wall. She asked what he was doing and told him to stop.

“He said it was because of his PTSD and he calmed down and they went to the bedroom to watch TV”

However he then became verbally abusive, smashed her phone and threw a bedside cabinet across the room, causing it to break.