Man reported himself to police for repeatedly strangling his Corby girlfriend until she lost consciousness over two year period

Declan Folwell’s girlfriend told police after he was arrested that he had been abusive for almost all of their five-year relationship.

Northampton Crown Court heard that the 32-year-old was both physically and emotionally abusive toward the woman.

Although she could not specify what dates Folwell had strangled her, she told police that he had done so on multiple occasions at her Corby home.

Prosecuting, Lynsey Knott said: “Strangling was his ‘go to’ means of physical abuse.

"The victim recalled occasions where he’d pinned her down with his knees and strangled her with his hands.

"There was an occasion where he stood on her neck in front of her children.

"Sometimes she woke up with him strangling her.”

Just before he was arrested in May, Folwell, now of Cheaney Walk, Rothwell, had slapped her so hard that he left a red mark that was still there the following day.

Folwell, who also uses the surname Sully, called police himself on May 12. He told them: “I’ve got to report myself. I abuse my partner.”

He pleaded guilty to two strangulation offences and an assault that occurred between June 2022 and May this year.

The court heard he had 33 offences on his record for burglary, theft, affray, possession of offensive weapons and assaulting police officers.

Folwell, who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, has been held on remand since his arrest.

Mitigating, Caroline Bray said that her client had been offered a place to stay at his mother’s home should he be released, and that he had a job as a groundworker waiting for him.

She said: “The best way to protect other women would be for probation to get to work with him very quickly to find out what went wrong in this relationship – with him, not her – and try to stop it happening in the future. With four months already served he would not have time to do that in prison. He needs to do the Building Better Relationships course.”

Recorder Paul McGrath said: “The victim is a resilient person but this has taken its toll on her.

“The defendant has a history of cocaine and cannabis use which appears to be a factor in this case. He expressed remorse but it was noted by probation that he tended to minimise his offending.

"He’s poses a risk to his future female partners.”

Folwell was jailed for 24 months.