Jail for Kirkby man who strangled a teenage boy and cut off his breathing
A Kirkby man who grabbed a teenage boy by the neck and cut off his breathing had to be restrained by other people, a court heard.
An argument was sparked when Ricky Bedder reacted to a derogatory comment another teenager made about his partner’s weight on December 12 last year, said Georgina Miller, prosecuting.
Bedder, aged 36, had alcohol on his breath when he shouted: "Who the f*** do you think you are?"
The boy ignored him and walked away which further fuelled Bedder's anger. Bedder followed him, shouting: "I will smack you straight across your face."
Other people tried to intervene, including another teenage boy, and Bedder told him: "I will smash your f****** face in. I will knock you into the middle of next week."
Bedder lunged suddenly and gripped the boy's throat so tightly he struggled to breathe. The attack continued until he was pulled off. As he was escorted away Bedder blamed his partner for "not having his back."
His victim later said the incident affected him "quite a bit" and he has since suffered from sleeplessness and anxiety.
Bedder told police "it was not his finest moment."
Nottingham Crown Court heard he has three previous convictions for three offences and was last in trouble in 2007 for common assault.
Daniel Scothern, mitigating, said Bedder deserved credit for his early guilty plea and made no attempts to minimise the harm he caused.
"He is remorseful for his actions," he said. "The situation was a tense one. He makes no excuses for what he did.
"The circumstances at the time were of heightened emotions and an inability to deal with the situation. He needs help to control his emotions."
Bedder has been referred to a substance misuse agency to tackle his drinking, Mr Scothern added. He said the strangulation lasted less than ten seconds.
Bedder, of Greenwood Drive, Kirkby, admitted intentional strangulation when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on February 5.
"This was an appalling incident," said Recorder Stuart Sprawson on Friday, May 15. "He made all sorts of threats and it was only because others intervened that he calmed down and stopped. This is unquestionably a case where there is lasting harm."
Bedder was sentenced to 17 months in prison. A five-year restraining order was imposed.