A dad strangled his then-partner at her home after being angered about being woken up to clean up damage his dog caused. Joshua Gibson-Walling, of Glenwood Close, Radcliffe, was asleep at the property in Bury on December 16 last year. At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, prosecutor Emily Calman said he was woken by his then-partner after the dog had caused damage to the home.
Gibson-Walling, 28, dealt with the situation before venting his anger at being woken up for that reason. But the verbal abuse soon turned physical, the court heard. He started flicking a cigarette, which got stuck in her hair, before grabbing her by the neck, Ms Calman said.
He placed both hands around her and she was unable to breathe, and her vision went black. The victim managed to escape him briefly before he followed her and attacked her in the same way. During the attack, she was assaulted and forced into a cupboard as a result.
Police were called and Gibson-Walling attacked a police officer while trying to resist being arrested. In a victim impact statement, the woman said “she no longer feels safe in her own home”. Although she did not suffer serious injuries she has been scarred mentally and emotionally.
After previously being the “life and soul of the party”, she is now more wary of people, especially men, and has developed a stutter. The police officer who was assaulted said he felt “disrespected” after being attacked while he was doing his job of protecting the community. Th.