A top Latin American and Ballroom dancing coach has been branded a ”monster” by his former dance partner after he strangled and suffocated her in a London hotel room during a champagne celebration to see in the New Year.

Antonio Franchitti, 63, a Fellow of the Associated Board of Dance who has travelled the world in his role as dance judge and mentor flew into a rage and attacked girlfriend Cheryl Wood after complaining she had not had sex with him.

During the terrifying row at the four star Club Quarters Hotel in the City of London, Franchitti who ran his dance school with 46-year old Miss Wood threw her on the bed and throttled her until she could barely breathe. He then dragged her so hard along the floor so her face suffered carpet burns and when she tried to scream for help he put his hand over her mouth.

Miss Wood who suffered various a facial injuries in the assault only managed to escape the couple’s hotel room when she agreed to say she had been mugged. She was then condemned to travel 250 miles back to Cheshire by train with her attacker before she raised the alarm with her mother. At Chester Crown Court, Ms Wood, of Knutsford, Cheshire who has three children from a previous relationship spoke out against father of one Franchitti as he was jailed for 26 months and issued with a ten year restraining order.

“The night of the attack is something I will never forget,” she said in a statement. ”I am still struggling to come to terms with why he would do that to me. The monster he became I did not recognise, I was terrified, and I truly believed that I
might not survive.

”The physical injuries I suffered were severe and I am still healing, but the emotional trauma is something that cannot be seen and will take far longer to heal. Since that night as well as my physical injuries, I have suffered from memory loss, constant pain, difficulty sleeping, dizziness and overwhelming exhaustion.

”I have not been able to do the simplest tasks without the need to sit down. I am always exhausted, and I have this constant feeling of being ill. Beyond my own suffering, my children have been deeply affected. My eldest daughter, who is 21, and my 18-year-old son have struggled with their emotions, feeling anger and helplessness at not being able to protect me.”

The couple who ran the Licence to Dance school in Altrincham had been in a relationship for four years. But according to Ms Wood, Franchitti became ”obsessive” and when she tried to leave him, he would following her around and repeatedly threatened to kill himself if their relationship was to end.

Miss Shannon Stewart, prosecuting said: “She detailed the strangling was worse whilst on the floor as he did it harder and she felt like she was fighting for her life. Her face was being pushed into the carpet with one hand around her neck with force placing his other hand over her nose and mouth area.

“When Ms Wood regained consciousness her face was swelling and she recalled the defendant telling her to get some sleep. When she stated she needed painkillers he stated they could not go out because of her face. He told her he was scared but that he loved her and was sorry. She stated there was blood all over on a photograph she took but then in the morning the blood was gone.

“Ms Wood then recalls coming around again and wanting to leave but the defendant refused to let her go and locked the hotel room. The defendant then asked her what she would tell others and she agreed to say she was mugged. He told Ms Woods that he would kill himself if she left him and said he wanted Ms Wood to remain at the hotel for another day to let swelling go down. She managed to convince the defendant to let her leave by covering herself with makeup and covering herself up.”

Ms Wood was treated at Wythenshawe Hospital where her teeth were found to have been chipped and she has sustained swelling, a bite mark inside the mouth, carpet burns, injury to ear and bruising to the face and neck. Franchitti was quizzed but apart from conforming the couple went to London together he gave ‘no comment’ in police interview. He said the mark on her jaw was accidentally caused by a curling iron.

Franchitti who lives in a £500,000 apartment on a millionaire row in Bowdon pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and charges of intentional strangulation and suffocation. Charges against him of coercive behaviour and causing grievous bodily harm were dropped at an earlier hearing. The dance school is currently closed.

Defence counsel Richard Thomas said: “Mr Franchitti expresses his genuine remorse in relation to what he did to a lady he loved and had been in a relationship with four years. He himself is in disbelief to the injuries that he has caused her.”

Sentencing Franchitti Judge Simon Berkson told him: ”How is it that someone of 63 commits such terrible offences against that person. You have never been in trouble before. You were previously a successful man and rightly described as being of previous exemplary character.

“I have letters from people describing what you have done for them. But this was a sustained incident of strangulation or suffocation. You strangled her twice, you suffocated her once. The incident was prolonged, there was a substantial effect on the victim’s ability to carry out her normal everyday activities or ability to work. In my judgement appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate imprisonment.”

For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit** www.aafda.org.uk**.

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