'Manipulator' grabbed partner around neck and strangled her

Ashraf 'pushed victim on sofa and strangled her'

The 23-year-old got home from university later than expected and as soon as she reached her front door Mohammed Ashraf, who had earlier sent her abusive texts, “dragged her inside".

He pushed her on the sofa and had both hands around her neck strangling her and followed by putting a pillow case over her face.

“She was very frightened she would not be able to breathe and would die, it lasted about 30 seconds although may have seemed much longer to her,” said Peter Hussey, prosecuting, during Ashraf's sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court.

“She described how she was able to wriggle free and flee to a neighbours' and borrowed a telephone to dial 999. She was so upset she was whimpering at times.

“She was very frightened and sat in her car with him still insider her house.”

Police quickly arrived at her home in Newton-le-Willows, and he was arrested. When the victim went inside she discovered he had smashed her Dell laptop which she was using for her university studies in her nursing course . 

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'A manipulator' 

Mr Hussey said that she and Ashraf, met through a mutual friend in the middle of last year and she allowed him to move into her home because he needed an address as terms of his licence from prison.  

“She has mental health difficulties surrounding her sexual orientation describing herself as bi-sexual and she discovered he did not approve.”

In an impact statement she told how her mental health has deteriorated since the incident and is on increased medication. She had been abused previously and “he preyed on her vulnerability.

“She described him as a manipulator and she has trust issues because their relationship was based on lies.”

The victim told how when she told him about previous abusive relationships he said, "it was my fault and I deserved to be subjected to this behaviour".

And when she told him about her bi-sexuality "he hated this and pressured me to be someone I am not".

The court heard that Ashraf's previous convictions were mainly for dishonesty but he was jailed in 2021 for 16 weeks for stalking and battery of a previous partner for which he was on licence at the time of the new offences.

Ashraf, 55, pleaded guilty to strangulation and criminal damage which occurred on November 14, last year.

Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Stock)

Gareth Roberts, defending, said that Ashraf has mental health issues including psychosis and depression, which were exacerbated when he was attacked in prison in 1995.

He struggles to form relationships and has issues with alcohol and drugs. “He is genuinely remorseful and totally understands that what he did was wrong.”

Their relationship had been doomed to fail and he could not cope with her anxiety which fed into his own problems but he has been making advances while on remand and attending courses, said Mr Roberts.

Jail sentence passed

Jailing the defendant for 25 months, Judge David Swinnerton said that smashing her laptop which he knew she needed for her studies was “nasty and mean” and he had been “utterly selfish.”

He said that when she got home that evening he was intoxicated with drink or other substances and he attacked her straight away and “she was understandably terrified for her life.”

The judge imposed a seven-year restraining order to keep away from his victim.