Man charged with new non-fatal strangulation offence in Northern Ireland

A 47-year-old man has become the first person in Northern Ireland to be charged with a new offence of non-fatal strangulation.

The man was arrested in Co Fermanagh on Wednesday and has since been charged with a number of offences against a female, including non-fatal strangulation.

He was due to appear at Strabane court on Thursday.

It comes just days after non-fatal strangulation became a specific offence on Monday as part of the Justice (Sexual offences & trafficking victims) Act (NI) 2022.

Those convicted can face up to 14 years in prison

Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher described it as a “landmark piece of legislation” becoming operational.

“Already, we have been able to act in safeguarding a potential victim and make the first arrest and charge of this nature,” she said.

“This only serves to reiterate our commitment to tackling this horrific crime. It will not be tolerated in our communities.

“Over 1,500 frontline officers and staff have already been trained to recognise and respond and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring potential offenders to justice.”