During the latest in a string of incidents, he started to strangle his girlfriend
A jealous young troublemaker left his long-suffering girlfriend terrified when he suddenly threw her onto a bed and started to strangle her during an angry argument. Leo Genter had a long history of violence for someone so young and, during a previous nasty incident, he broke a good friend’s jaw after punching him in the face.
During other violent outbursts, he assaulted police and security staff, Hull Crown Court heard. Genter, 21, of Pearson Park, Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted an offence of intentional strangulation on October 18.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that Genter and the woman had been in a relationship since 2021 and it was Boxing Day in that year when he was first violent towards her, hitting her and causing a black eye. They split up and he later spent a year in custody after an offence of grievous bodily harm.
They were in contact by letter and resumed their relationship but Genter was recalled to custody. He was released this year and she moved in with him.
Genter began to show signs of jealousy and, when she went out, he texted and telephoned her, trying to get her to return home and asking when she would be back. On October 18, she went out with friends and he asked her for money for beer but she did not do so.
Genter sent messages asking where she was. He became angry and, when she arrived home, they started arguing and shouting at each other. “She said she would leave and started packing her belongings,” said Mr Welch.
His anger increased and he grabbed hold of her. He pushed her onto a bed and put his hand over her mouth and squeezed her around her neck at the same time in an effort to strangle her.
The woman telephoned a friend, who said that she would call the police. Genter got hold of a knife. During police interview, he made no comment to questions.
Connor Stuart, mitigating, said that Genter had shown an unusual amount of insight into the matter. Alcohol had been a problem for him but he was receiving help. He had shown a degree of immaturity during this and other offences.
“He understands the impact it will have had,” said Mr Stuart. “He understands that the relationship is over. He is realistic about sentence and knows it must be custody.”
Judge John Thackray KC told Genter: “This was a serious offence. All offences of strangulation are serious because of the terror and fear inflicted upon the victim, who is not to know when the strangulation will come to an end.
“This was a terrifying incident for your victim and there may well be long-lasting consequences. You have got a bad record for violence, particularly for one so young. She was entitled to feel safe and secure in your company.”
Genter was jailed for 18 months. He had already been recalled to prison until July next year.
Previous incidents
A hearing in June last year was told that the previous grievous bodily harm offence happened when banter between Genter and a good friend suddenly turned violent on August 24, 2022. Genter unexpectedly punched his mate in the face, breaking his jaw, after a half-hearted challenge from the victim to hit him suddenly turned deadly serious.
Genter became fed up with his friend moaning about not being able to draw out any money and quickly suggested: “Well, a good punch will sort you out.” The victim made the mistake of telling him “Do it then” but, to his surprise, Genter took it seriously and immediately lashed out with a hard punch.
The court was told that day that Genter had known his friend for about a year and, on the day of the incident, they went out socialising with another male. At 5.50pm, they walked past Hull railway station.
The friend was annoyed about not being able to withdraw money and was complaining about this to Genter, who told him: “Well, a good punch will sort you out.” The friend told him “Do it then” in what was not a serious challenge but was probably meant as bravado as part of the socialising.
He did not expect Genter actually to hit him but Genter did so and punched him in the face. The victim knew immediately that he had been seriously injured and was spitting blood from his mouth.
As they were not far from Hull Royal Infirmary, they walked there and, while they were there, Genter made a telephone call of apology to the friend’s mother. It was discovered that the victim had suffered a fractured jaw in two places on either side.
He had an operation under general anaesthetic to insert metal plates into both sides of his jaw to pin it into place. He was discharged the next day.
The healing process was satisfactory but the victim returned to the trauma clinic in October of that year. He had disregarded some of the medical advice that he had been given and had suffered an infection, which was treated.
Genter went on to commit offences of assaulting another man, causing actual bodily harm, and also assaulting a security officer and assaulting a female police officer on December 30, 2023.
Genter made a rude remark about a woman’s weight, causing her distress, and leading to matters “taking a turn for the worse”. There was an argument and Genter and a man began pushing each other.
The man punched Genter in the chest but Genter was carrying a beer bottle and he hit the man twice in the eyebrow area, causing the bottle to break the second time. A security guard saw what happened and took hold of Genter and pulled him to the ground, telling him to calm down. Genter began to fight, punching him several times to the face.
The security guard later discovered that his arm was bleeding because he and Genter had been rolling on glass from the broken bottle used to assault the other man. Genter was not easily arrested by police and he tried to headbutt a female police officer. She dodged out of the way.
Genter had a previous conviction in December 2023 for assaulting a police officer by headbutting. He had not wanted to be handcuffed. He later boasted: “I headbutted a f***ing copper. That’s the funniest thing I have done for a while.”
At the earlier hearing in June last year, Genter was sent to a young offenders’ institution for two-and-a-half years.