Leigh James Pattinson jailed for choking woman, causing her to lose consciousness

A sadomasochist acquitted of rape has been sentenced after choking a woman, who told a court the attack still haunts her. Warning: Graphic content.

Sadomasochist Leigh James Pattinson, who was cleared of seven counts of aggravated sexual assault in April, has been jailed for choking his ex-lover so severely she lost consciousness.

In April, Pattinson was cleared of seven counts of aggravated sexual assault causing actual bodily harm and sexual touching.

However, he was found guilty of choking with recklessness before a judge-only trial after the court heard the 43-year-old ignored the safe word of “Leigh” which the victim was to use when she wanted him to stop during the August 2019 incident.

Parramatta District Court was told how after injuries incurred during consensual sex, the victim asked him to stop when she was being choked and bleeding: “Leigh, enough, stop, I’ve had enough’’ but he replied: “Perhaps you have had enough, slut. Have you had enough, slut?’’

He pinned her to the wall, grabbed her and choked her until she lost consciousness.

“It must have been apparent to the offender that the victim was bleeding, in pain and had enough physical activity with the offender,’’ Judge Mark Buscombe told the court on Friday.

“I’m satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the offender intended to choke the victim until she lost consciousness.

“The victim repeatedly used the so-called safe word during the choking … but the offender persisted.’’

The woman woke up on the bathroom floor and found Pattinson watching her after the choking, which Justice Buscombe refused to accept by Pattinson’s description as “erotic asphyxiation”.

He told the court how the offence was life threatening.

The woman read a victim impact statement to the court and said the incident led her to attempt suicide.

She said the attack in 2019 “nearly killed me and it still haunts me to this day” and left her without the ability to push through the blame, disgust and physical pain from the attack.

“The attack led me to drink alcohol very heavily,’’ she said.

“Losing my job led me to losing the house I was in as I could not find work as I was not functioning properly.’’

The court heard how the woman first met Pattinson at a party in 2012 in Sydney and they caught up for coffee after he returned from Dubai where the former production director owned a business.

They developed a violent, consensual sexual relationship that included Pattinson grabbing the woman’s hair and choking her until she lost consciousness.

Pattinson offered to plead guilty to the choking offence in March last year if the other charges were dropped but the Director of Police Prosecutions rejected it.

Letters of support written by Pattinson’s ex-wife, sister and partner were submitted to the court, which found apart from a drink-driving charge, he had a clean record.

Justice Buscombe sentenced Pattinson to two-and-a-half years in jail. He is eligible for parole in November 2023.

Lifeline: 13 11 14.

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