Anthony Yewman from Romford, Essex, found not guilty of strangling his partner at her Fordingbridge home

A man who styled himself on comic book villain the Joker has been found not guilty of trying to kill a woman he called his “Harley Quinn”.

Anthony Yewman (45) was accused of strangling Jennifer Dalton twice until she passed out at her home in Fordingbridge on 30th August last year.

She had told a jury at Southampton Crown Court that he had attacked her after she told him their on-off two-year relationship was finished.

Ms Dalton (44), who has tattoos on her face like Harley Quinn’s – the Joker’s sidekick and love interest in the comics – claimed Yewman had put his hands around her throat and throttled her twice.

She claimed that after she came round from the first attack he told her “Oh, you are still alive, I am going to finish you off” before strangling her again.

Ms Dalton said he strangled her after she told him to leave. This was two days after she had returned with him from a woman’s refuge where she had fled in June to “get away” from him.

She claimed he was “obsessed” by her and would not accept their relationship was over and had frequently scrawled messages like “The Joker Loves Harley” near her home.

Sobbing in the witness box, she had told the jury she thought she was going to die during the attacks.

But Yewman, who had pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and two charges of intentional strangulation, said he had only put his hands on her collar bone to “push her away” after she attacked him first.

He said she had given him a “death stare” before grabbing his arm and “going for” his throat. Yewman had said the incident happened after they had spent a “lovey dovey” morning before Ms Dalton accused him of cheating.

Yewman also sobbed while giving his evidence, saying Ms Dalton had frequently claimed he was unfaithful and had asked him to take a £400 lie detector test to prove he wasn’t.

Referring to the 17 tattoos on his body of Ms Dalton – including on his face, head and genitals – he said he had them to show he was “not cheating” on her.

In evidence, Ms Dalton had claimed Yewman, from Romford, Essex, whom she had met online, had “harassed” at the refuge after following her.

But texts from her on his mobile phone read out to the court proved she had sent him the refuge address, along with messages about how much she “missed” and “loved” him while there.

He testified that she had also spent nights at his mother’s home in Essex and in a tent near the refuge – which he believed was a mental hospital – sometimes for up to three days.

Yewman thanked the jury after they delivered their verdicts today (Friday). Prosecutor Matthew Farmer said that despite the defendant being found not guilty he felt he should be subject to a restraining order. Referring to Ms Dalton, he said he felt it was “right in both their interests”.

Judge Henry agreed: “There is sufficient velocity in the relationship to have serious concerns if there is not one.”

He told Yewman that it would be issued “as much for your protection as well as Ms Dalton’s”.

The order, which runs for 10 years, bans him for contacting her by phone, text, or email. It also prohibits him from going to her address to pick up property without a police officer accompanying him.