A property and lettings boss with a “history of violence” viciously strangled his girlfriend, pinned her against a wall, threw her around and stamped on her after she woke him up while he was sleeping, a court heard.
Businessman Daniel Gough “behaved appallingly” during the “disgraceful” scenes of violence and it would have been “a very frightening incident” for the woman. She had been left suffering emotional and psychological harm, Hull Crown Court was told.
There was a history of him “flying off the handle” during their “toxic” and “abusive” relationship, the court heard. Gough, 46, of Queen’s Dock Avenue, Hull, admitted assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, and other offences of possessing a stun gun as a prohibited weapon and causing criminal damage.
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Hannah Turner, prosecuting, said that the woman had been in a relationship with Gough for about two-and-a-half years. They went out for a meal with friends in Hull in December 2022. A work event was planned for the next day and they went home at 9.30pm.
After they got home, Gough soon went upstairs. Ten minutes later, the woman found him in bed and tried to wake him as she wanted to have a couple of drinks with him. She later tried to wake him again, but there was no response and so she left the room.
She was on the hallway landing when Gough grabbed her around the neck “with both hands” and pinned her to the wall, said Miss Turner. “He put pressure on her neck and dragged her to the ground.”
Gough carried her from behind into the bedroom in a bear hug. “He pushed her on to the bed and grabbed hold of her throat area,” said Miss Turner. “He placed pressure on her throat and she couldn’t breathe or speak.”
The defendant tried to hit the woman with a bedside lamp, but he missed and it smashed against a table. Gough took her mobile phone, threw her on to the floor and stamped on the side of her face, the court heard.
The assault lasted for 10 to 15 minutes. The victim suffered a swollen and black eye, swelling and bruising to her cheek, an injured finger and other bruises across her body.
The woman later told the police about a stun gun belonging to Gough that was in her home. She found it after he had left and was sorting through his property. The stun gun was in working order.
The woman later said that the assault had an “emotional, psychological and financial impact” on her and the relationship had been “abusive” throughout. “I feel ashamed that I allowed him to abuse me but I only wanted to see the best of him,” she said.
She claimed that Gough used to “fly off the handle” and be “horrible” to her. She was still badly affected but was “determined” to get through it.
Gough had convictions for 11 previous offences, including affray in 1995, assaults in 2003 and 2013 and criminal damage. He also had convictions for possessing prohibited weapons, including Pava spray, in 1998 and 1999.
‘Helping his community’
Dale Brook, mitigating, said that the relationship was “completely over”. None of Gough’s previous convictions were related to domestic incidents and the most recent of them was from 2013.
His client described the relationship as “toxic”, but this was no excuse for the offences. “He accepts that he has behaved appallingly on this evening,” said Mr Brook. Gough had tried to go to bed and “snapped” after the woman woke him for a second time.
Gough was a “successful and hardworking” man who had strived to build a property and lettings business, giving him a “great deal of security as a result of his endeavours” over the years. “He has a commercial business, which is successful,” said Mr Brook. “He has also dedicated a significant part of his talent and time to help others.”
He had been chairman of Humber Landlords Association, but had stepped down. He had been central to a not-for-profit business that worked closely with Hull City Council and other organisations to help homeless people and those who had been released from prison sentences, to find them accommodation.
“He identifies potential properties that can be used for the scheme and there are large-scale projects,” said Mr Brook. “He is doing a great deal to give back to his community.”
‘History of violence’
Recorder Simon Jackson KC said: “The violence that erupted was a disgraceful course of conduct by this man, including grabbing her, grabbing her by the throat, leaving bruises, pinning her against a wall and then dragging her back into the bedroom, pinning her down and trying to grab something with which to strike her.
“At one point, she was on the floor. He raised his foot and stamped on her cheek. The upshot of all of that was that she sustained a number of injuries.
“This would have been a very frightening incident in her own home, in an environment where she was entitled to feel safe. It was persistent. There is a history of violence and also a history of possession of weapons.”
Gough was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 200 hours’ unpaid work, a probation service Building Better Relationships programme and 20 days’ rehabilitation to address his drinking and “recreational use of drugs, such as cocaine”. He was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation and he was given a five-year restraining order.