Jail for man who attacked tragic mum Amy Docherty

A MAN who assaulted a mother-of-two who later killed herself has been jailed.

James Sims (36) of Clough Road, Masbrough, assaulted Amy Docherty (27) twice during their relationship, including an attack in August when he put her in a headlock.

Miss Docherty was found dead at her home on Elm Grove, Greasbrough, six days after the attack, on Sunday, August 27.

Mr Mark Brookes, prosecuting, said it was not the Crown’s case that Sims contributed directly towards Miss Docherty’s death.

Miss Docherty felt Sims was trying to control what she was doing about three weeks into their relationship, he said.

Sims assaulted Miss Docherty for the first time while she was working at the County Borough pub in Rotherham on June 26.

Sims did not know where she was, and when she appeared, he grabbed her face and left her with bruised eyes.

He continued to threaten Miss Docherty and told her that he would burn her house down, Mr Brookes told the court.

Several weeks later, following a night out, Sims grabbed Miss Docherty’s phone from her and called her a “slag”.

When she tried to take her phone back, Mr Brookes said, Sims pushed her and put her in a headlock, and when she tried to get away he grabbed her by her hair.

Miss Docherty had two children who were six and 15 months old, Mr Brookes told the court.

Docherty said in a victim impact statement, taken shortly before she took her own life, that Sims made her feel worthless and scared.

Sims admitted assault by beating and assault occasioning actual bodily harm at previous hearings at Sheffield Crown Court.

Sims stayed with Amy Docherty around 30 times, the court heard, in the same house as her two young children, despite the fact he was not allowed to stay in the same house as someone below the age of 18 for more than 12 hours without notifying the authorities, due to a previous rape conviction.

He admitted two charges of failing to notify authorities under part of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 at a previous hearing at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.

Sims was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the assault occasioning actual bodily harm, however, he has already served 16 months on remand.

He was given a one-month sentence for the assault and six months for failing to notify the authorities about living with a child. Both of these will run concurrently.

Mitigating, Mr Andrew Swaby said: “He acknowledges that he has a problem with relationships and he doesn’t cope with conflict very well.”

Mr Swaby said Sims had taken a number of courses in custody and hoped to make a fresh start on his release.

Sentencing Sims, Miss Recorder Sophie Drake said: “It’s said by the prosecution that your behaviour did not contribute towards her taking her own life but it’s clear from her victim impact statement that it did have an impact on her.

“You can’t have helped by your behaviour and you must accept that you somewhat contributed to the mental state she was in even if you did not contribute directly towards her death.”

Miss Drake said Sims had shown controlling behaviour.

“It’s clear from your report that you are selfish and you are someone who just does what you want to do.”

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