A pensioner who strangled and slapped his disabled wife, while also making a threat to kill her, has been sent to prison.
Carlisle Crown Court heard how a minor incident at a supermarket triggered a chain of events which led to Steven McHardy, 73, being jailed for his first criminal offence.
This occurred on February 25 when the couple were at Morrisons with the woman’s disabled son.
She attended on her disability scooter and accidentally pulled out of an aisle, almost striking a couple.
McHardy criticised her, comments continued and, back at home, he grabbed his wife by the arms and pushed her into a cooker.
He made a threat to kill her, twice placed his hands around her throat and squeezed, and in between times delivered a number of slaps and a punch which burst her nose.
She took photographs of her own injuries, was collected from the address by her daughter and had since moved away.
McHardy, of Graham Street, Carlisle, was arrested and admitted intentional strangulation.
During today’s sentencing hearing, McHardy’s lawyer said he very much regretted what he had done.
“He knows what he has done is simply unacceptable,” said Jeff Smith, mitigating. The court heard McHardy had no previous convictions and also suffered from a disability himself.
The sentencing judge, Recorder Peter Atherton, expressed concern about the frequency of intentional strangulation incidents coming before the courts.
Recorder Atherton said the key issue with which to wrestle in McHardy’s case was whether or not punishment could only be achieved with immediate custody. He concluded that McHardy should be sent to prison, and imposed a 12-month sentence.
“It gives the court no pleasure to impose a custodial sentence on anybody — not least a man of your years and your background,” said the judge. “But this is serious offending.”
