Jealous boyfriend 'flew' at partner and strangled him over new Snapchat account

A jealous boyfriend 'flew' at his partner and strangled him after learning he had started a new Snapchat account.

Samuel Barker had started rowing with his boyfriend on a night out in Preston over the new social media account, LancsLive reports. But the argument escalated at home and he pinned his victim down to the floor, putting his hands around his neck.

He told him 'you can't message other boys', a court heard, while his partner 'struggled to breathe or speak' during the attack. At Preston Crown Court, Barker, 26, was handed a suspended sentence after a judge said the incident had already 'left its mark' on him.

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The court was told how Barker had known his partner for around two years and the pair had been in a relationship since January 2022. However they sometimes had 'heated arguments', and had separated between December 2022 and January 2023.

Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, told how on April 28, 2023, the couple went for a night out in Preston, with Barker's sister and her boyfriend. They visited bars including Baker Street and Revolution before going to 1842.

At 12.30am on April 29, Barker became angry that his partner had started the new social media account for 'a clean slate and to get rid of old contacts'. Barker started asking about the contacts and was angry to discover his boyfriend had been in contact with a 'guy friend' who had been unwell.

The group left the bar and walked to a taxi, where Barker's sister suggested he took the front seat, however the argument continued all the way back to the house. Barker's