Mum-of-three strangled by fiancé who lifted her off ground by throat

A mother of three has described the terrifying moment her fiancé strangled her until she turned red in the face and lifted her off the ground by her throat, leaving her fearing he would never let go. Melissa Keeley, 39, was attacked by Daniel Gee, 37, in her home in Dover, Kent, on October 11, 2022, after he woke up in what she described as a "very bad mood".

Horrific attack details revealed in court

Melissa recounted how Gee lunged at her with his hands around her throat, pushing up with his thumbs under her neck and chin. "It forced me onto my tiptoes, and I was slammed into the wardrobe behind me," she said. "He was gritting his teeth and spitting at me. I grabbed his hands to see if I could pull him off, but he was holding on so tight that I kind of just accepted that he was going to really hurt me. I dropped my arms and it felt like it went on forever."

Gee finally released her, and Melissa managed to escape, gasping for air. In her victim impact statement read at Canterbury Crown Court, she said Gee "had an evil look in his face" and added: "I cannot recall why he was so angry at me." Following the attack, Gee smashed a glass terrarium containing a gecko before Melissa fled the property.

Previous convictions and sentencing

Daniel Gee, a medical equipment technician originally from Manchester, had three previous domestic abuse convictions against former partners dating back to 2008 but had managed to avoid imprisonment until now. Prosecutor Lucy Luttman noted that Gee initially told police he acted in self-defence and denied grabbing Melissa by the neck, claiming she had come at him angrily.

However, Gee eventually pleaded guilty ahead of his trial in November and was sentenced on January 22 to 18 months in prison. Judge Simon Taylor KC highlighted Gee's history of violent offences, including:

A 2015 conviction for two counts of battery where he grabbed a victim's throat
A 2016 battery incident where he pushed a partner and grabbed her throat
A 2021 battery conviction
A 2008 caution for making threats to a woman

Judge Taylor said Gee had received suspended sentences in 2015 and 2016, and a community order in 2021, meaning he had escaped prison for 18 years despite his pattern of domestic abuse.

Judge's concerns and additional penalties

During sentencing, Judge Taylor expressed serious concerns about Gee's risk of reoffending, particularly after Gee admitted in a pre-sentence report that he "only pleaded guilty because of a plea deal" and continued to deny the offence. "In my judgment, the account you have is a telling one," Judge Taylor told Gee. "It is an identification of the continuation of your cowardly behaviour."

The judge added that Gee presents a "high risk of reoffending and harm" and noted the "stark comparisons" between his previous convictions and the attack on Melissa. In addition to the 18-month custodial sentence, Gee received:

A 10-year restraining order preventing contact with Melissa Keeley
Release on licence following his time in prison
A statutory victim surcharge of £187

Victim's reflection on the relationship

Melissa has since spoken out about her relationship with Gee, which began in 2021. She described how "everything seemed fine" initially, with Gee proposing marriage just three months into their relationship. "It is now I am aware of the gaslighting, the love-bombing and the trauma bonding," she revealed. "He would be overly romantic and tell you everything he wanted to hear. It was like he saw me coming and knew I was perhaps a little naive and a bit vulnerable. He knew what he was doing – this was not the first time."

Following the attack, Melissa received a flood of messages and missed calls from Gee asking where she was. A friend, noticing changes in her behaviour, reported concerns to the police, leading to Gee's arrest.

Defence arguments and future implications

Representing Gee at the sentencing hearing, Phil Rowley said the father, who lives in Whitfield Hill, Dover, was "open to rehabilitative intervention" to address his multiple offences. "He recognises he needs assistance in that regard and recognises his history of convictions is something which needs to be addressed," Rowley stated.

Rowley also highlighted that Gee works a "demanding job" as a technician for a company dealing with medical and surgical equipment and is financially supporting his partner and her son, as well as making contributions to his daughter who lives in northwest England.

Despite these representations, Judge Taylor maintained that the severity of the attack and Gee's history warranted imprisonment. The case highlights ongoing concerns about domestic violence patterns and the judicial system's handling of repeat offenders in such matters.