Police officer tried to murder his girlfriend in Manchester Premier Inn after she decided to leave him

A cowardly police officer flew into a jealous rage and tried to kill his girlfriend in a Manchester hotel room as she shared texts with her new lover. Lancashire Police officer James Riley, 28, strangled Ellie Moxham for about two minutes, before leaving her for dead in a city centre Premier Inn.

The couple had been together for a few years and bought a house in 2021 but their relationship was marred by Riley’s ‘anger, aggression and jealousy’, Manchester Crown Court heard. He had persuaded Ms Moxham, a PHD student, to attend a gig at the Apollo in Manchester and stay the night at the hotel, after drinks and food earlier in the day.

Riley hoped it would rekindle their relationship but Ms Moxham had no intention of reconciling with him. During the night, Ms Moxham had told her new man that she loved him and wanted to be with him.

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As she shared texts with her new lover when she and Riley returned to their hotel room just after 11pm, on November 10, 2022, Riley launched a brutal attack. “You became consumed by uncontrollable anger and a jealous rage, and you attacked her with murderous intent,” Judge Patrick Field KC told him.

After strangling her for about two minutes, Riley put a plastic bag over her head because he ‘could not stand to look at her’, the court heard. At 11.15pm, before calling 999, he rang his parents and told his father: “I’ve killed Ellie and I’m going to kill myself. I just wanted to say goodbye.”

His mother called the police after Riley said he’d ‘strangled’ Ms Moxham. Then only 12 minutes later he called for an ambulance, before fleeing and abandoning her.

Ms Moxham was unresponsive when paramedics arrived, and