Chatham man jailed for strangling woman twice during assault

The attack took place at a private property in Chatham in the early hours of 13 February 2026. The offender and the victim were known to each other. The woman told attending officers she had been grabbed twice by the throat, dragged across the floor and held over a staircase. She fled the property and sought help at a nearby petrol station.

The man was arrested later the same day and charged. Additional alleged offences, including criminal damage and coercive or controlling behaviour, were ordered to lie on file.

Intentional strangulation became a specific criminal offence in England and Wales under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which inserted section 75A into the Serious Crime Act 2015 and came into force on 7 June 2022, introduced to address non-fatal strangulation, chiefly in the context of domestic abuse.

Key information

• The National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, can be reached on 0808 2000 247, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Kent Police can be contacted on 101 for non-emergency matters, or 999 in an emergency.
• Victims of domestic abuse in Medway can also contact Medway Domestic Abuse Service for local support.