Daniel Rutter 35

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'Sex-obsessed' Daniel Rutter, 34, has previously been jailed for attacks on women.

A violent Hull man strangled and suffocated a sex worker in a "degrading and dehumanising" attack in Leeds.

Daniel Rutter, 34, of HMP Leeds, but formerly of Plane Street, Hull, went to the victim's house after only two weeks of knowing her, and went into a rage when she "accidentally knocked over his crack pipe". The aggressive bully then relentlessly attacked her, leaving her with two black eyes, cuts to her neck and swelling to her lips, jaw and ear.

The prolific offender has a long history of attacking women, and Hull Crown Court heard last year that "sex-obsessed" Rutter exposed himself to a policewoman while being transported in a police van. He made disgusting comments to her, offering sex, while he committed a sex act, and then defecated and urinated in the van.

On Thursday, Leeds Crown Court heard that Rutter continuously punched the woman at her home in Burnsall Gardens, Leeds. She was then able to escape his abuse and lose him before returning to her flat.

Leeds Live reports thatProsecutor Jade Bucklow said she later let him back in, "fearful" of what he would do if she did not. Ms Bucklow said: "He went in and was standing in front of the door and punched her.

"He straddled her and put his hands around her neck and she struggled to breathe. She kicked him in the genitals and it worked and she began to scream. He [Rutter] put a woolly hat over his hand and over her mouth and punched her to her body."

Police received a call that people were "screaming" at the address, and officers found Rutter and the woman there. In a basis of plea, Rutter argued that he did not put a hat over his hand to suffocate the woman, but did it with the intention of stopping it from bleeding, after the woman bit him.

However, he did accept he put his hand over her mouth. The Hull offender also claimed the woman already had injuries prior to him going over there.

The victim was treated at Leeds General Infirmary after the attack, and suffered two black eyes, cuts to her neck, swelling to her lips, the left-hand side of her jaw and ear.

Rutter was sentenced for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation and intentional suffocation. He was also sentenced for failing to comply with notification requirements after he failed to tell police he no longer had a home.

In a police interview on December 19, Rutter provided a pre-prepared statement in which he said he had gone to the woman's house to drink, listen to music and watch television. Ms Bucklow said: "He said they had consensual sex during which she fell and hit her face on the table and chair.

"The interviewing officer remarked he took issue with her being a prostitute."

The court heard Rutter had 39 previous convictions for 94 offences including 16 offences against a person. In November 2021, Rutter was sentenced for slapping and spitting on his ex-partner, just days after he was released from prison.

After police arrived to arrest him for the attack, he then aggressively spat at officers. His previous stint in prison was for assaulting the same woman.

Mitigating, Michael Walsh, said he had been diagnosed with a condition - which was later said to be the life-shortening Huntington's Disease. Mr Walsh said: "He is realistic about the type of sentence that will be imposed today.

"The probation service have expressed the view that they don't think they could work with him because of his issues that mean he isn't amenable to them and because he is likely to spend time in custody but they will work with him in custody. He is a man with complex issues that arise from his mental health."

Mr Walsh said Rutter was using drugs and to some lesser extent, drink, to self-medicate and "that perfect storm led to anxiety and the commission of these offences". The barrister added: "He has said to me he wants to be in a position where in the future if he gets involved in stressful situations he acts better than he has before.

"When he is released he wants to seek assistance in regards to his mental health."

His Honour Judge Robin Mairs told the court that in the pre-sentence report, Rutter stated the woman wanted to be strangled and he "made references" to her role as a sex worker. The judge said the author of the report wrote: "As though that provided explanation for the offences."

He said: "Your attitude to the complainant (who) you beat and strangled over hours is degrading and dehumanising. Because she is a sex worker you deem her to be worthy of the violence you used upon her. Your conduct and attitude towards her is despicable."

The judge jailed Rutter for two years and seven months. Rutter will have to serve up to half of his sentence in custody before being released on licence.