A JEALOUS boyfriend put a scalpel to his partner’s neck and told her she deserved to die after he found out she had been talking to another man.

Adam Leicester, formerly of Northumberland Avenue, Reading, gave his victim black eyes and scratches on the neck after he “went mad” with his girlfriend, who he had been in a “stormy” relationship with for five months.

They had taken a break before rekindling when she came to stay at his Reading home on March 4, 2021 where they had a “lovely” weekend.

Leicester then discovered she had been talking to another man, however, and “went mad”.

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The 24-year-old then put a scalpel to her neck and told her she needed and deserved to die, prosecutor Charles Digby said.

He added: “She was terrified and genuinely believed this was going to happen.

“His step-mother was in the house and was too frightened to find out what was happening.”

The abuse continued as he spat in her face and put washing up liquid in her hair.

She then tried to escape but he grabbed her back and she started screaming for help.

A neighbour spotted the woman and called the police at this point.

With his partner back in the house, the Reading man managed to force her onto a bed and put a pillow over her face.

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Following this, Leicester pinched her nose and put a hand over his partner’s mouth, telling her he wanted to kill her, that she needed to die and that she deserved to die.

A court heard how he punched and slapped her six times before he was arrested.

Leicester’s step-mother claimed he had come into her room a few days before the incident and told her he “felt like killing someone”.

It was also revealed Leicester messaged the man his partner had been messaging -- who she had never met -- and said to him: “tell me what the f****** stupid b**** has been saying, I’m going to kill her”.

Defending, Rhianna Fricker said Leicester had a “very traumatic upbringing” and this had a “significant impact” on his relationships.

The court heard how the 24-year-old had two previous convictions. One for punching his father in 2016, and a second for breaching a restraining order in 2019.

Ms Fricker said Leicester had not behaved this way in a romantic relationship before, however, and he may not have acted violently in another romantic relationship.

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She said: “It is clear there were insecurities on both sides of the relationship.

“She was worried he was cheating on her.

“He expressed deep regret. He said when they split up in February he wished they had just left it at that.

“He hopes she has moved on with her life and wished to say sorry for putting her through this.”

Sentencing, her honour Judge Real said she took the view this was not a premeditated incident.

The judge described how the woman claimed she was “beyond terrified” in her witness statement.

“She thought she was going to die”, the Judge added.

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Referencing his previous convictions, Judge Real said they were relevant to this offence and that he posed a risk of re-offending.

Leicester was sentenced to 38 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and threats to kill.

He will serve up to half of this sentence before being released on licence.

A restraining order was also handed to Leicester, who will not be allowed to contact the victim directly or indirectly for five years.

He was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Thursday, July 29.

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