Man who strangled ex and stole from his employer in 'amateurish' cocaine-fuelled theft avoids jail
A man who strangled his ex-partner at her home and stole £4,500 from the garage where he worked has avoided jail.
Ben Jenkins, 27, formerly of Tower Street, Ludlow, but now living in Kidderminster, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to three charges.
Two of the charges – sending a malicious communication and intentional strangulation – related to Jenkins' actions towards his former partner, while a third charge of theft concerned his role as a supervisor at an Applegreen petrol station in Bromfield Road, Ludlow.
Judge Recorder Julian Taylor heard that the incidents involving Jenkins' ex-partner had both taken place in August 2022 – the month after they had broken up.
During a phone conversation on August 9 he told her was going to attack her, adding: "I am going to kill you."
The prosecution said the victim had accepted the threats were not real, but had been shaken by them nonetheless.
The second incident took place on August 13 when Jenkins had visited his former partner's home.
After becoming agitated when she gave him bags of his possessions to take away, he was asked to leave.
At that point the court heard he 'flew' at the woman, who was holding a child at the time, and grabbed her around the throat.
