LUKE HOUGHTON – BARNSLEY

❌LUKE HOUGHTON – BARNSLEY❌

Luke Houghton, from Barnsley, pleaded guilty to stalking and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, along with a ten-year restraining order.

Over the course of a six-year relationship, Houghton subjected his partner to prolonged physical, emotional and psychological abuse. She was left with black eyes, extensive bruising, hair pulled from her head, and burns to her scalp and back after he poured boiling water over her. On several occasions, he strangled her until she lost consciousness.

He routinely humiliated her in front of friends and family, while deliberately isolating her from her own support network. His behaviour left her feeling alone, dependent and trapped. Throughout the relationship, Houghton was repeatedly unfaithful, yet persistently accused his partner of cheating.

When she attempted to leave the relationship, his behaviour escalated into stalking. He began turning up at places he knew she would be, holding his phone through her letterbox to film inside her home, and standing outside her windows late at night, terrifying her children. He forced his way into her home after listening to her private phone conversations by pressing his ear against the door.

On one occasion, she returned home and heard noises upstairs. When she went to investigate, Houghton was standing at the top of the stairs dressed in black. She screamed and he ran at her, restraining her and covering her mouth.

Neighbours later reported that he had frequently been parked at the end of her street, watching her house for hours at a time. On another occasion, she woke to find him standing at the bottom of her bed after he had let himself into the property, having previously stolen a key while collecting his belongings.

The stalking only came to an end when Houghton was remanded into custody before trial for attempting to run her over in his work van.

These incidents represent only a fraction of the abuse and intimidation she endured.