Sheila Lockridge, 66, who was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today

A woman who 'strangled the life' out of her 70-year-old girlfriend after their 30-year relationship became frayed has been jailed for eight years.

Sheila Lockridge, 66, who was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today.

Lockridge called 999 at 7.39pm on September 2, 2018, as her partner Dianne Williamson lay dead at their home in Gristhorpe, North Yorkshire.

She later told police officers at the scene: 'I strangled her. She's dead.'

Mrs Williamson, who weighed seven-and-a-half stone and was in poor health, was often suffering from bruising, according to witness statements.

The couple had previously been in a 'loving' relationship but one which involved 'physical and emotional volatility' both ways, a court heard.

On one occasion a witness overhead an argument between the couple in which Mrs Williamson pleaded with Lockridge: 'Please don't stab me. Please don't kill me.'

She rushed in to the room to find Lockridge brandishing a kitchen knife and intervened.

Following a split in their relationship up until the attack they had both spent the afternoon in The Station Pub in Filey before returning separately to the home they shared.

Lockridge arrived back at 7pm and called police at 7.38pm - but Mrs Williamson had already been lying dead for 14 minutes.

Witnesses estimated that Lockridge - who suffered from mental disorders including depression - had downed between six and eight pints of beer and two rums before she left the pub.

Following a struggle at home, Lockridge pinned Miss Williamson to a wall and got 'in her face' - before choking her until she blacked out, prosecutor Tahir Khan QC told the court during a previous hearing.

Lockridge waited about 14 minutes until after Miss Williamson's death before she called police - despite calling members of her family and friends in the interim, the court heard.

The prosecutor said: 'We know from the phone evidence at 7.39pm the defendant was ringing 999 and telling the operator her partner was dead.'

Police arrived to find Lockridge laid on the floor with her arms out, the court heard.

Dianne Williamson, who weighed seven-and-a-half stone and was in poor health, was often suffering from bruising, according to witness statements

Lockridge, who also had 'extensive' bruising to her own body, was arrested and taken away by officers.

She initially told the police there was an argument between herself and the victim before the struggle started.

The prosecutor added: 'There clearly was an incident because when the defendant was examined she had injuries to herself.

'The defendant said there had been an argument and she had strangled her partner.

'She had indicated that the victim had attacked her and all she had done was to restrain Diane.'

The court heard the victim - who stood at just over five feet tall and weighed less than eight stone - felt 'intimidated' by Lockridge.

Mr Khan QC read a victim impact statement to the court on behalf of Miss Williamson's daughter.

In the statement, she said her life had been turned 'upside down' by the death of her mother.

She said: 'I can't understand how someone could take her life away. I have feelings of confusion and heartbreak.

'Mum was 70 years old and still had her life to go. That will now never be the case.'

Lockridge had previous convictions for attacks on her partner and others - one in 1992 and another in January 2012.

On one occasion, she went to the workplace of her partner before chasing her with a knife, the court was told.

In mitigation, Anthony Metzer QC said Lockridge had suffered from a very difficult childhood. He said she had been taking tablets from depression prior to the attack.

Mr Metzer QC said Lockridge had shown genuine remorse about the death of her former partner.

He said there was a lack of pre-medication before the incident.

Jailing her, judge Recorder of Leeds Guy Kearl said this was an 'unusually rare' case of its type.

He said: 'This was a tempestuous relationship.

'You used sufficient violence to kill Diane by strangling the life out of her.'

He said the defendant had shown a disassociation with her actions and may never come to terms with what she had done.

Lockridge, wearing a blouse and cardigan, was also given a restraining order not to contact the daughter of her victim.

After the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Pearson, who led the case for the Major Investigation Team, said: 'This was a brutal and tragic end to a 30-year relationship in which Dianne Williamson suffered at the hands of Lockridge.

'My thoughts are with Dianne Williamson's family at this very difficult time. No sentence could ever compensate for the loss of their mother and grandmother.

'However, the jailing of Lockridge today may give at least some closure to those who loved Mrs Williamson.

'I would like to take the opportunity to encourage anyone suffering violence at the hands of a partner to report it to the police.'