Midhurst Domestic Abuser Jason Santon Jailed for Choking and Assaulting Woman

A 37-year-old man from Midhurst has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Portsmouth Crown Court after subjecting a woman known to him to sustained domestic abuse, including intentional strangulation and violent assaults requiring hospital treatment. Jason Santon, of Mead Way, appeared before the court on 18 September for sentencing following his conviction on three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of intentional strangulation. Alongside the custodial sentence, presiding judicial authorities imposed a five-year restraining order strictly prohibiting Santon from contacting the victim, concluding an extensive police investigation into violent offences committed across West Sussex between 2022 and 2023.

The criminal proceedings detailed a harrowing, escalating series of attacks that took place over an extended period. The court heard how an initial incident occurred in February 2022, when Santon seized the woman by her neck and hair before attempting to choke her into submission. Only a month later, in March 2022, Santon carried out another severe assault, kneeling directly on the victim's chest to restrict her breathing while choking her. The campaign of violence culminated in July 2023 when he struck the victim with sufficient force to cause injuries that necessitated immediate emergency hospital treatment, prompting the involvement of statutory emergency services and criminal justice authorities.

Following the hospital admission, the survivor reported the full extent of the offending to Sussex Police, initiating a targeted domestic abuse investigation that led to Santon's apprehension and subsequent charging. In an impact statement presented during judicial proceedings, the victim detailed the profound emotional and psychological toll of the prolonged ordeal, explaining that she had lived in a state of constant fear. Daily Dazzling Dawn learned that the complainant remained resolute in her determination to secure accountability, stating that she never wished to endure such trauma again and sought to prevent other women from experiencing similar terror.

The prosecution of Santon highlights the stringent application of legal provisions under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which established intentional strangulation as a standalone criminal offence carrying substantial custodial penalties. Legal practitioners and specialist advocacy groups have increasingly noted that non-fatal strangulation represents one of the most critical risk markers in domestic abuse dynamics, often serving as an indicator of lethality. By pursuing specific charges under this legislation alongside multiple counts of actual bodily harm, prosecutors established an unequivocal evidentiary basis regarding the immediate physical danger Santon posed to his victim.

Speaking after the formal sentencing, Police Constable Angelika Morge of Sussex Police emphasised that the harm Santon inflicted continues to affect the survivor's life, reiterating that tackling violence against women and girls remains an urgent strategic operational priority for regional law enforcement. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that specialised safeguarding teams within regional forces have continued expanding proactive intervention strategies, ensuring that comprehensive protective orders and risk management frameworks accompany custodial outcomes.

The five-year restraining order granted by the court forms a key component of post-sentence safeguarding, legally barring Santon from entering designated exclusion zones or initiating communication with the victim through direct or indirect channels. Operational figures within criminal justice agencies have pointed out that post-conviction protective injunctions are vital to enabling survivors to rebuild their personal autonomy without ongoing intimidation. PC Morge reiterated the statutory force's ongoing appeal, urging anyone experiencing domestic abuse, coercive control, or non-fatal strangulation to report matters promptly to police services or independent confidential victim support networks operating across the United Kingdom.