A man from Swanley who strangled and punched two women has now been jailed  for two years for a string of domestic abuse offences.

Darrell McArdle, of The Orchard, had been in relationships with both victims but subjected them to physical and psychological abuse.

These included banning the women from meeting other men or friends.

The 24-year-old started seeing one of his victims in February 2020, and by June he “sought to control every aspect of her life”, reported Kent Police.

He began to insist that she did not speak to other men or see her friends, and would beat her if she wore clothing he deemed to be inappropriate.

McArdle forced her to erase any social media accounts she had and threatened to harm her family if she ever left him.

One of the assaults against this victim included an incident in June 2021 at a property in Gravesend where McArdle repeatedly punched her to the head.

When she began to cry, he continued to torment her and even forced a tooth from her mouth. 

His second victim was assaulted on November 21, 2023, when he went into the Maidstone home of a former partner twice.

McArdle punched her in the face several times, during an ordeal which also saw the victim pinned to a sofa and strangled.

He was arrested in the following weeks and appeared before Maidstone Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to charges of controlling and coercive behaviour and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

On Monday, April 29, 2024, McArdle was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

He was also made the subject of a five-year restraining order, relating to the one of the victims.

Detective Constable Joe Yandle said: “McArdle continuously abused, isolated and tormented one of his victims during much of their relationship, with actions which were clearly intended to humiliate and degrade her.

“Ultimately, this man is a violent bully and coward who has subjected two women to the most appalling violence but has demonstrated little to no remorse or shame for his deplorable behaviour.

“I would like to thank and commend both these victims who have shown great courage to come forward, and also reassure anyone who may be in an abusive relationship that we have dedicated teams which work relentlessly to tackle and deter people like McArdle.

“Victims of domestic abuse often feel frightened, isolated and even ashamed, but they are never to blame for what is happening.

“There is a range of support and information available; please phone us or ask a trusted friend or relative to do it.

“Nobody should feel they don’t have the option to walk away.”