Prison for Bulwell man who strangled partner and violently abused her dog

Na-zai Burrows shouted “I am going to kill you” as he applied “heavy pressure” to her neck during the attack at their home, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

Gregor Purcell, prosecuting, said that on other occasions he threw her around the room and grabbed her by the neck.

Mr Purcell said: “She describes an atmosphere of intimidation and threats of violence where she had to walk on eggshells and anything she said might lead to violence.”

After she told him to turn his Sony PlayStation games console off in the early hours of December 30, he became angry, smashing plates and internal doors before hitting their dog.

When she told him to leave on New Year's Day, he made further threats about smashing her car and burning their house down, with her and the dog in it.

As police arrested him, they heard Burrows threaten “to get guns and put a bullet in her and her mother”, Mr Purcell said.

He has previous convictions for criminal damage and violence, including wounding from 2016, and has breached two conditional discharges.

Reading her statement in court, his victim said she was “scared of what he will do after he is released from prison” and struggles to leave the house and focus at work.

“I am done after what he has done to me and my dog,” she said. “I am glad I am finally free of him. I am worried about future relationships.”

Burrows, aged 24, of Commercial Road, admitted threats to kill, criminal damage, and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Roger Wilson, mitigating, said Burrows, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, accepted responsibility after maintaining his innocence to probation officers.

“He wants to say sorry to her through me today so she can hear it,” he said. “It became toxic. He has no intention of contacting her again.”

He has been in custody since January and has done painting and decorating courses.

Jailing Burrows for two years and nine months and handing him a five-year restraining order, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said it was a “troubling case”.