Darlington man jailed after kicking woman in street and threatening her with knife

A man has been jailed after kicking a woman "like a football" in the street and threatening her with a knife.

Andrew Davies assaulted the woman in Darlington town centre in December 2022.

Teesside Crown Court heard Davies repeatedly attacked the woman on multiple occasions strangling, kicking and punching his victim.

The 45-year-old was handed a five-year extended sentence at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday and told he was "an extremely dangerous individual" by Judge Andrew Hatton.

During the incident in Darlington town centre, several members of the public intervened after witnessing the bus driver kicking and stamping on the woman and detained him until police officers arrived on the scene.

The woman was taken to a place of safety where she told an officer Davies had threatened her with a kitchen knife before launching the sustained attack.

Although the woman did not support a police investigation, officers from Durham Police pursued the case through an evidence-led prosecution due to the severity of the incident.

Evidence-led prosecutions are used when a victim either withdraws their support during an investigation, or refuses to support an investigation from the outset, and sees police and prosecutors build robust cases in which they do not need to rely on the victim’s evidence.

Their investigation resulted in Davies being charged with several offences, including assault, intentional strangulation, and possession of a bladed article.

He initially denied the offences but later changed his plea to guilty.

The 45-year-old, of Darlington, appeared at Teesside Crown Court where he was handed an extended prison sentence of five years.

In mitigation, the court heard the Darlington defendant - who has one previous conviction for shoplifting in the 90s - is remorseful and "can't explain what was going on".

The court heard Davies has "psychiatric problems" and "clearly needs help".

Investigative Officer Heidi Weir and PC Amie Thornton, from Darlington Safeguarding Team, said: “Although the victim in this case did not support a prosecution, we are pleased our investigation has resulted in Davies – a violent and dangerous man - being jailed.

“In cases such as this where victims are not supportive of an investigation, but a prosecution is in the public interest, we work extremely hard to build a watertight case that does not rely on evidence from victims to ensure offenders face the justice they deserve.

“We must also thank the brave members of the public who intervened during this incident and provided vital witness statements which have helped us to secure justice for the victim in this case.

“If you believe someone you know is suffering at the hands of an abuser, then please speak to us. We will do everything we can to protect them, support them, and keep them safe from harm."

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