Jealous boyfriend, 27, walks free from court after throttling his girlfriend in a fit of rage during bungled attempt to catch her in bed with another man
- Matthew Rothwell wrongly suspected his partner Toni Oven had cheated on him
- He ambushed the mother-of-two at home but he found Miss Oven sleeping alone
- Rothwell, 27, then became so angry that he smashed her phone and throttled her
- He was given 15-week suspended jail sentence at Manchester Magistrates Court
A jealous boyfriend who throttled his innocent girlfriend in a fit of rage after a bungled attempt to catch her in bed with another man has walked free from court.
Matthew Rothwell, 27, had wrongly suspected that his partner Toni Oven had cheated on him during her birthday party.
But when he ambushed the mother-of-two at her home at 9am the following morning, Rothwell found Miss Oven sleeping alone.
Manchester Magistrates Court heard he was so angry at being proved wrong that he smashed up Miss Oven’s phone and choked her until she could barely breathe.
His tirade ended with him being shut out of Miss Oven’s house in Salford, Greater Manchester by a friend who had stayed over at the house.
Matthew Rothwell is pictured leaving Manchester Magistrates Court, left. The thug was spared jail after throttling his girlfriend Toni Oven (right)
Rothwell punched a hole through the front door and threw a car jack at her window during the incident before he was arrested.
In a statement to police, Miss Oven said: ‘I feel hurt and upset at what happened. I just feel he has ripped my heart out and put it back in over and over again.’
Rothwell, from Westhoughton, near Bolton, admitted assault by beating and criminal damage and was sentenced to 15 weeks jail suspended for two years.
He was banned from contacting Miss Oven for two years under the terms of a restraining order. He has since replaced the broken phone.
The couple had started dating in 2018 but police were regularly called out due to ‘domestic incidents’, the court heard.
The assault took place on January 12 after Miss Oven threw a party to celebrate her birthday.
Rothwell punched a hole through the front door and threw a car jack at Miss Oven’s window during the incident
Prosecutor Rachael Yarwood said: ‘Family and friends were all at the pub and Miss Oven had a few drinks and was very intoxicated.
‘At, around midnight they went back to her house but the defendant was thought to have gone home. At around 3:30am everybody left her address apart from her sister’s friend.
‘At 9am the complainant got up to tidy up and then went back to bed. But 30 minutes later the defendant arrived at the address and stormed into the bedroom.
He slammed open the door as if he was expecting someone to be in bed with her. He was extremely abusive and aggressive towards her and appeared to be on cocaine.
‘He grabbed her phone and smashed it then strangled her with both hands around her neck.
‘She managed to kick herself out of his hold, then he punched a glass panel in the front door.
‘He went into the lounge and continued to be abusive and aggressive. He grabbed Miss Oven’s other mobile phone to ensure she had no way to contact anyone.
‘Her friend managed to assist by getting in between the pair. After he left he started to bang on the door and threw a car jack at the front window.’
Rothwell had 19 offences on his record including assault and damage. He will also have to complete a six month alcohol treatment programme, 75 hours unpaid work and a course on Building Better Relationships.
Defence barrister Adam Whittaker said in mitigation: ‘He accepts he has caused anxiety and upset to his partner, he has replaced one of the mobile phones.
‘He is actually a loving, doting and caring man.’
Rothwell (right), from Westhoughton, near Bolton, admitted assault by beating and criminal damage and was sentenced to 15 weeks jail suspended for two years