Thug utters six-word boast as he strangled and assaulted woman in parking row
A thug made a pathetic boast to a woman as he strangled and assaulted her during a parking row.
Stuart McGregor launched a horrific attack on a woman after she asked him to move his van, which was blocking her mum's drive. The 32-year-old rained punches on her before throttling her, then assaulted her mum when she intervened. During the assault, McGregor said: "I'm the hardest man in Seghill".
Newcastle Crown Court heard that on July 28 the two victims had gone out for a meal to celebrate the daughter getting the keys to a new family home. They returned back to the mum's place between 11pm and 11.30pm.
They found a large van, belonging to McGregor, who lived opposite, blocking her mother's drive, ChronicleLive reports. When asked to move it by the daughter, he refused, saying "Who do you think you are, gangsters, with your eight cars?"
Kate Barnes, prosecuting, said: "The defendant continued moving towards her and the next thing she can remember is being on the floor with the defendant on top of her, punching her to the face. She described being terrified and in fear for her life."
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The woman's mother tried to intervene to stop the assault and she was also assaulted. McGregor then strangled the daughter with both hands. Miss Barnes said: "She felt she was going to pass out as he did that. He began aggressively shouting at her, saying 'You don't know who you are dealing with, I'm the hardest man in Seghill'. He grabbed her by her hair and ripped out some of her hair, before retreating into his own home."
The daughter said in a victim impact statement: "I've never felt pain like it before in my life. I was fearful for my life. I feel this will affect my life moving forward. Why couldn't he just have been civil and asked for the cars to be moved on the estate? I'm utterly shocked and saddened at the incident. I feel this has highlighted how dangerous this person is."
Her mum said it left her feeling anxious and suffering flashbacks. She added: "I feel sick to leave the address at all. I'm now seriously considering moving away from the area. This has caused me to worry uncontrollably about my daughter, who was attacked. I hate the man responsible for the attack."
McGregor, 32, of Seghill, Northumberland, who has 11 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the daughter and common assault on the mother. He was also in breach of a suspended sentence imposed for controlling or coercive behaviour.
Judge Stephen Earl jailed him for 16 months and imposed a five-month restraining order banning him from contacting the two women. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation. Judge Stephen Earl said the daughter was "severely assaulted on the ground", adding: "It's by luck and chance they were not more seriously injured. The defendant was out of control during the assault, which can only be described as an assault over an extended period of time."
Andrew Espley, defending, said: "He apologises and said no one deserves to be treated like that. If he could put the clock back he would but he can't and he knows it. He wishes there was something he could do to put things right but there isn't." The court heard McGregor has mental health issues but is a "highly qualified and skilled man" who worked as a hydraulic engineer.
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