Man threatened to kill partner ‘in one punch’ when she refused sex with him
A thug who promised his girlfriend that he would never attack her has been jailed after strangling her when she refused to have sex with him.
Christy Hewitt, 23, told his victim that he could ‘kill her with one punch’ and repeatedly stamped on his victim’s head in another ‘unpleasant and gratuitous’ assault, a court heard.
The dad-of-three had been in a relationship with Chantelle Duvall-Gregory for around four years, but their time together was marred by ‘violence and alcohol consumption,’ Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Iain Criddle, prosecuting, described how on January 4 this year, Hewitt – of Parkfield Road in Aigburth – was said to have ‘become angry’ following a night of drinking and ripped a door from its hinges at the couple’s flat at around midnight.
Ms Duvall-Gregory went outside to smoke a cigarette and ‘defuse the situation’ but was followed by her boyfriend, who punched and kicked her before grabbing her by the throat and throwing her to the ground.
The thug then stamped on her head six times before she was able to escape and ‘run off’ when another resident intervened. She found Hewitt outside upon her return, and he resumed his attack by slapping her across the face and throwing his mobile phone at her.
Ms Duvall-Gregory again attempted to flee, but her abuser followed her and punched her twice more to the head. She was however only said to have been left suffering from a headache following the incident.
Upon his arrest, Hewitt made ‘obviously homophobic comments’ to police officers. This included ‘mimicking’ one by saying ‘I’m gay’ and calling him an offensive name.
He was released on bail with conditions not to contact Ms Duvall-Gregory, but he and his father began residing at her home in spite of this. Then, on the morning of March 13, the complainant refused Hewitt’s sexual advances as they lay in bed – at which point he slapped her in the face.
When she slapped him back, he slapped her twice more with such force that she fell out of bed. Her assailant then picked her and threw her back onto the mattress, began straddling her and put his hands around her throat.
Hewitt ‘made threats about being able to kill her with one punch’ and threatened to smash a mirror over her head. Ms Duvall-Gregory was left unable to breathe as she was strangled.
In a statement which was read out to the court on her behalf, Ms Duvall-Gregory outlined how she has been left suffering from panic attacks and ‘wakes in the middle of the night thinking she is being strangled’. She added that she feels ‘constantly sick and anxious’ and has been forced to move home as a result of the incidents.
Hewitt has a total of eight previous convictions for 15 offences. He received a youth referral order for affray and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place in 2017, a conditional discharge for assault in 2019, a community order for assaulting an emergency services worker in 2022, 22 weeks behind bars for causing unnecessary suffering to animal later the same year and an £80 fine for drunk and disorderly behaviour in 2023.
He admitted intentional strangulation, two counts of assault by beating, criminal damage and a public order offence to the court. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for 30 months and given a 10-year restraining order.
Recorder Lasker said of Hewitt’s second attack: ‘When the complainant refused your sexual advances, as she was quite entitled to do, you became enraged with her. You had previously warned her that you would give her a slap for refusing you, and you did precisely that.’
Hewitt replied ‘thank you your honour’ after learning his sentence.
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