A violent boyfriend who twice smothered a woman and who has assaulted close female relatives has been jailed.

Adam Matthew William Lee’s latest partner twice fled her home to get away from him at the end of their years-long relationship, York Crown Court heard.

In a personal statement, she said she had suffered emotional and physical abuse and been the victim of coercive behaviour at Lee's hands for some time, but had been unable to report him to police.

She had eventually done so because she feared that if the 34-year-old serial domestic abuser got back into her flat, she could die.

While on bail for offences against his partner, Lee threatened to kill her for making a statement against him, said Brooke Morrison, prosecuting.

Lee, of Burnsall Drive, Holgate, has previous convictions for assaulting his mother and sister, causing actual bodily harm to an ex-partner and has three convictions for breaching domestic violence protection orders made by courts to protect his partner.

“This is a rather harrowing case,” said Judge Simon Hickey, as he jailed Lee for 30 months and made him subject to a 15-year restraining order banning him from contacting his partner in any way, going to her home address and referring to her in any social media post.

Lee, of Burnsall Drive, Holgate, York, pleaded guilty on the day he was due to stand trial to non-fatal suffocation and assaulting the woman. He admitted witness intimidation at a plea and trial preparation hearing.

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Ms Morrison said Lee and the partner argued in her flat after drinking on January 6.  He slapped her and put his hand over her face so that she couldn’t breathe.

She fled to a neighbour’s flat, but he followed and persuaded her to return to her home.

There he again put his hand over her mouth and threatened her.

She again fled to the neighbour’s flat and phoned police. Officers later found Lee sleeping in his mother’s home and arrested him.

Released on bail, Lee called the woman 20 times on March 16, said Ms Morrison. She called police. He went to her home and when he saw she was on the phone to police left, but later phoned her and said: “You …… grassed on me. I hope police find me, if they don’t I will come down there and rip your ….head off.”

For Lee, Katherine Robinson said the relationship was over and he didn’t want to resume it.

While on remand in prison he had become a mentor and helped other prisoners learn to read and write. 

He cared for his mother.

  • The York -based charity Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS) helps anyone suffering from or affected by domestic abuse of any kind including physical, emotional, psychological or sexual. Its 24-hour helpline is 0808 2000 247, its North Yorkshire contact number is 03000 110 110 and its email is at info@idas.org.uk. Its website is https://idas.org.uk/.