A TikTok influencer has been jailed after strangling their girlfriend in a “sustained attack” of domestic abuse.
Hollie Hanson, 26, of Low Cross Court, Knottingley, pleaded guilty to a number of charges relating to her partner including intentional strangulation and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour in their relationship, West Yorkshire Police have said.
The 26-year-old was sentenced on Friday at Leeds Crown Court to four years in prison, an extended licence period of three years, and was made the subject of an indefinite restraining order.
The charges related to an incident on 2 September last year where Hanson reportedly got jealous of her girlfriend’s relationship with one of their friends and grew verbally abusive.
When she returned to Hanson’s home to collect her belongings, she was followed and pinned to the bed in a “sustained attack lasting several minutes, with Hanson repeatedly making threats about killing the female victim”, said Wakefield District Adult Safeguarding’s Detective Constable Demi Stubbs.
“Hanson then became violent toward one of their friends,” DC Stubbs continued, as they assaulted the male victim by grabbing him around the neck by his chain.
The court heard that on a separate occasion in 2020, Hanson once assaulted her girlfriend with a vodka bottle, knocking her unconscious before slashing her leg. The victim was too scared to report the attack and told the hospital she’d accidentally cut herself on a shard of glass.
“Hanson has shown they are a dangerous individual who is prepared to use extreme levels of violence in a domestic relationship. Hanson was remanded in custody throughout this court process and has now been jailed,” DC Stubbs said.
They continued that the case was publicised to highlight that domestic abuse does not only occurr in heterosexual intimate relationships.
“I would urge anyone who is in the LGBTQ+ community who is the victim of domestic abuse, whether physical or emotional, or who has concerns for a friend or family member, to please have the confidence to come forward,” DC Stubbs concluded.
Hanson, had approximately 25.9k followers on one TikTok account. In a video posted in 2023, Hanson posted a video about how they “need to learn how to stay quiet sometimes. Because I know how disrespectful I can get when I’m angry and hurt.”
The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
