A DALTON man who held a knife to his ex-partner’s throat as she returned home after a night out in Huddersfield has been jailed for more than three years.
Her terrifying ordeal only ended when the woman’s brother arrived outside her home and she fled inside.
In a separate attack Benjamin Matheson earlier repeatedly punched her in the face before he bit her on her shoulder, causing teeth marks and bruising.
Matheson, 30, of Harp Inge, appeared at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Wed) charged with assault causing actual bodily harm and affray.
The court heard Matheson, who has four children with the woman after an eight year relationship, began pursuing her again two years after the relationship had ended. Prosecutor Ian Brook told how he had been texting her on December 8 last year when she was on a night out in Huddersfield.
He accused her of cheating on him despite her not being with him and she told him to leave her alone – but he replied saying he would be waiting for her.
The court heard when she arrived home by taxi at 2.55am she was approached by a masked man who tried to force open the taxi door.
She knew it was him by his build and voice and tried to close the door but he pulled it open. He dragged her by her hair to a lamppost and pulled out a knife which he put to her throat.
Mr Brook said the woman was terrified and tried to get away from the knife which had a two-three centimetre blade but he then put his hands round her throat causing her to struggle to breathe.
She escaped when her brother pulled him off her and fled.
The court heard she had been so scared of returning home alone she had phoned her mum who alerted her brother that Matheson may be waiting.
Judge Scott Wolstenholme told how Matheson had a string of previous convictions including robbery, assault and battery.
He said the victim was vulnerable and it was a sustained assault.
He sentenced him to three years nine months in prison.
