'Violent' man who strangled women in hotels jailed

A "manipulative and violent" man has been jailed for more than seven years for strangling, threatening to kill and assaulting women in hotel rooms.

Tobias King, 36, who has previously lived in Devon and Somerset, subjected two women to separate assaults in Honiton, Devon, and Bournemouth, Dorset, which left them fearing for their lives, and sent woman multiple unsolicited sexually explicit images.

King, of no fixed abode, was jailed at Exeter Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting strangulation, false imprisonment, threats to kill, actual bodily harm and theft.

Det Sgt Duncan Sandle, of Avon and Somerset Police, called him a "a violent and manipulative offender who is a danger to any woman".

King became the subject of an extensive manhunt after he repeatedly strangled and seriously assaulted a woman at a hotel in Honiton in late 2025.

He stole her purse and phone and left her unconscious in the room at about 03:00 GMT, police said.

Later that morning, at about 09:00, the police received a call from the hotel's general manager reporting a woman with significant injuries had attended the hotel reception in a distressed state, requesting immediate assistance.

Police said the victim, who had been staying overnight at the hotel, told officers she had been subjected to repeated physical assaults.

This included multiple incidents of being strangled, causing her to lose consciousness on separate occasions.

Her injuries included extensive bruising to both arms, her neck, legs, face and nose.

In a statement to police, she described how each time she regained consciousness, the assault continued and King stated he "had to kill her" and that he was "not going to prison for anyone".

Police said the assault had left the victim with extreme facial bruising and throat damage, which left her barely able to talk for months.

King evaded police for nearly two weeks by staying in tents and hotels but was caught after using a bank card he had stolen.

Once apprehended, police said King was also charged with an outstanding offence of a serious assault against another woman in a hotel room in Bournemouth in late 2022.

Police said King put his hands around her neck and squeezed so hard that she could not breathe.

Two weeks later, he attacked her again by throwing her on a sofa, hitting her in the head and using both hands to strangle her, causing swelling and bruising, police said.

The following month, he sent her social media messages asking her to drop the case against him, as well as sending her sexually explicit videos.

King admitted two counts of intentional strangulation, one count of common assault and one count of sending indecent images to the victim.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of sending a photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation.

Those charges related to sending several woman unsolicited pictures of his genitals between January and October 2025 using different numbers and social media platforms, despite being told to stop.

He also pleaded guilty to sending unsolicited sexually explicit images and videos in February 2021 to a woman in Bristol through email and WhatsApp.

For all the offences, he was handed an extended sentence of 10 years, of which 88 months is custodial, and was given an indefinite restraining order against the two strangulation victims.

He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register and will be subject to notification and reporting rules.

Det Con Nathan Ralph, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said the victims had "shown incredible bravery through the investigation".

"Their commitment to engaging in the criminal justice process has ensured that this dangerous offender will not be able to harm anyone else.

"Violence against women and girls is a priority in our force area, and these convictions exemplify our dedication to apprehending high-risk perpetrators.

"We would urge any persons that have been victims of abuse to talk to us; you will be listened to and taken seriously."

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