The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Spalding man who admitted throttling his partner during a controlling relationship and then tried to get her to withdraw a police complaint was today (Friday) jailed for 15 months.
Thomas Parr, 25, of Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, began a relationship with the woman after being released from prison in June this year, Lincoln Crown Court heard.
Jon Dee, prosecuting, said the relationship initially went well but then began to deteriorate, particularly when Parr was coming down from taking crack-cocaine.
Mr Dee told the court a friend of the victim, who is of mixed race, began to notice a number of assaults on her friend by the end of June.
The victim contacted the police on July 1 and was shoved in the back by Parr when she returned home, the court heard.
She later disclosed being strangled by Parr who would start off by play fighting and then put her in a choke position.
Mr Dee said: “She would struggle to breath and go red in the face.”
On August 9, Parr punched the woman through a pillow to soften the blows and squirted mayonnaise into her face, Mr Dee added.
Four days later Parr made a call trying to get his partner to withdraw her complaint, and also made a racial insult to her mixed race friend.
Mr Dee said both victims had declined to make impact statements.
Parr pleaded guilty to doing an act intended to pervert the course of public justice on 13 August this year by seeking to persuade a victim in a criminal investigation to withdraw a complaint.
He also admitted a second charge of coercive or controlling behaviour towards the same victim between June 1 and August 12, 2023, by putting her in fear that violence would be used on two occasions.
The court heard Parr also admitted a third charge of racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress against a second woman on August 13, 2023.
Parr also admitted a charge of stealing a pedal cycle from outside Boots in Hall Place on the same day.
Neil Sands, defending, said: “Mr Parr understands he is going to prison. He is realistic and knows he is only exiting the court by one way.”
Mr Sands also read out a retraction statement from Parr’s victim who said she never wanted matters to go as far as court, and wanted him get medical help.
“He has taken responsibility and pleaded guilty,” Mr Sands added. “He is desperate to end the revolving door of custody.
“The perverting the course of justice was perhaps desparation in a phonecall, and there have been no further incidents.”
Passing sentence District Judge Kevin Grego told Parr there could be no alternative to an immediate jail sentence.
“It was a short lived and for her a wretched relationship,” District Judge Grego said.
“On one day you called her 63 times.”
The Judge added: “She may be forgiving, but quite rightly these matters are being pursued.
“On more than two occasions you assaulted her by throttling her.”
