Jail for Bicester man who attacked grandma in her home

Her desperate appeal to Joshua Hannaway, 21, was caught on tape, as a neighbour concerned about the banging noises she could hear from next door began recording the sounds on her mobile phone.

The grandmother, who has since died of unrelated causes, was said to have provided a statement in support of the prosecution.

But Michael Haggar, representing Hannaway, said the woman had also told police: “My preference would always be to get him the help he needs outside of a criminal court.”

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Jailing him for 15 months, Judge Ian Pringle KC noted the defendant had previously been offered help by the courts to sort out his struggles with alcoholism.

And at the time of the offending last year he was subject to an alcohol rehabilitation requirement, imposed as part of a community order.

Sending him inside, the judge told Hannaway: “I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the only proper sentence in this case is one of custody.”

Earlier, prosecutor Philip Misner told the court that the defendant had been staying with his grandmother.

The neighbours had repeatedly reported their concerns to the police about hearing apparent violence coming from next door. When police spoke to the family, Hannaway accused the neighbours of ‘s*** stirring’.

In the early hours of August 13 last year, a neighbour heard banging coming from the house next door. The sound was loud enough to be heard over the television and two fans.

It sounded like a door was being kicked and the woman could hear Hannaway’s voice.

The woman was ‘most alarmed’ when she heard her elderly neighbour saying: “Why have you got your hand on my neck.”

She heard the woman’s voice ask: “Why do you do this to me?” Only part of Hannaway’s reply was heard. “Because you’re a f***ing –“ he said.

The non-fatal strangulation charge related to a second incident on October 23.

The defendant contacted his gran saying he was coming home, having damaged his bicycle. He was upset and ‘shouted “do you want a beef”’ – meaning argument – Mr Misner said.

He pushed the woman, knocking her off balance, then caused enough damage to a door that he knocked it off its hinges.

Hannaway grabbed his grandmother’s neck with one hand. She later told officers that her breathing had been ‘impeded’.

The defendant, of Rochford Gardens, Bicester, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to non-fatal strangulation and criminal damage.

He had what the judge described as a ‘quite staggering list’ of 22 previous convictions for almost 60 offences, including for violence.

Mitigating, Michael Haggar said his client was ‘extremely sorry’ for what he had done. He suffered from alcoholism and understood that his drinking was in part to blame for his actions. He had remained out of trouble for two years as a consequence of suffering a brain injury during a crash on the roads, which had meant he was unable to drink.

A number of different organisations had offered to support him with his various problems.

“He wants to go and work with all of these organisations,” his barrister said.

“He is fully aware when he is in drink it leads to him making stupid mistakes and, often, to violence.”

Appearing in the dock on Wednesday wearing a True Religion designer jumper, Hannaway spoke only to confirm his name at the start of the hearing and to thank the judge at the sentencing’s conclusion.