Fuming ex-boyfriend strangled other man at Chesterfield McDonald’s

Gage Hibbert, 21, reached through his ex’s VW Golf window and grabbed the male by the throat, squeezing so hard he left the other man feeling “dizzy”.

Chesterfield Magistrates Court heard Hibbert’s former girlfriend was meeting friends at the restaurant when the defendant turned up in the passenger side of another car.

Prosecutor Kathryn Wilson described how about 11pm on May 27 Hibbert “marched over shouting and ranting” - asking who his ex-girlfriend was with.

“Angry” Hibbert then “back-slapped” her arm which was hanging out of the car window and punched her wing mirror - causing her to cry and to suffer a panic attack.

As a male friend in the back seat of her car climbed to the front to calm the victim down Hibbert pushed him back into his seat, clutching his throat as he threw “repeated punches”.

None of the blows connected however magistrates heard the defendant’s victim was left “struggling with breathing” and with trouble turning his head afterwards.

A witness at the scene described Hibbert as “very angry”, “aggressive” and “really scary”.

Hibbert’s solicitor Karl Meakin said his client was angry as he felt he was “being mocked” by his former partner and her friends at the time.

He said: “That’s the cause of what’s happened - not the archetypal suspicions about a new relationship.”

Mr Meakin said the defendant, of previous good character, found video footage of the incident “distressing” to watch and “not a side of himself he recognises”.

He added: “The issues would appear to stem from the sudden death of his father and feelings of loss and rejection, echoed by the end of the relationship (with his victim).

Hibbert, of New Bolsover, Bolsover, admitted assault by beating, assault with actual bodily hard and criminal damage.

He was handed a two-year community order with a building better relationships programme and five rehabilitation activity days, 180 hours unpaid work and a three-year restraining order.

The defendant was also made to pay £350 compensation, a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

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