Woman suffocated with pillow before fleeing to shed in horrific incident

THE CULPRIT - HER BOYFRIEND AT THE TIME - THEN WENT ON TO STALK HER

- By MARK NAYLOR

NEW Year celebrations turned nasty when a heavy-drinking bully angrily suffocated his “terrified” girlfriend with a pillow before dragging her out of the house and slamming the door shut behind her.

The woman fled to a garden shed but her shocking ordeal did not end there because he forced the door open with a crowbar and strangled her, leaving her in “terror” and fearing that she might die, Hull Crown Court heard.

Michael Charlton, 48, of Bridlington, admitted intentional strangulation of the woman on January 1 and stalking her between the end of January and March 1. He pleaded guilty on the day of a scheduled trial.

Benjamin Donnell, prosecuting, said that Charlton and the woman were in a relationship for about six months. They went out drinking in pubs in Bridlington as part of New Year's Eve celebrations.

The woman and her son left to go home and Charlton stayed at the pub and continued drinking. Things later “turned sour” during a conversation about Charlton's ex-partner.

The woman fell asleep at the house but he awoke her and stood over her with both fists on either side of his head. He was aggressive in her face, rolled her onto her back and forced a pillow onto her face.

“He did so with such force that she could not breathe,” said Mr Donnell. “She felt that he had placed his full body weight on the pillow.”