Housemate, 31, jailed for six years after trying to kill other man living in his home after they had stayed up late watching a film and drinking cider

Brown, of east Hull, tried to suffocate him with a pillow as he begged for his life

A housemate has been jailed for six years after trying to kill the other man living in his home after they had stayed up late watching a film and drinking cider.

Violent James Brown left the other man in a ‘state of terror’ when he woke up to find him stood over him, tightening a belt around his neck.

The 31-year-old, of east Hull, also tried to suffocate him with a pillow as he begged for his life – before stopping and calling the police on himself.

As the terrified man tried in vain to push his attacker away he said: ‘Stop – you are going to kill me.’

Brown told the emergency services:  ‘I have just tried to kill somebody.’ He later said that he had ‘absolutely no idea’ why he acted in the way that he did, Hull Crown Court heard.

Violent James Brown left the other man in a ‘state of terror’ when he woke up to find him stood over him, tightening a belt around his neck

He later admitted a charge of attempted murder on September 16 and has been jailed for six years.

Charlotte Baines, prosecuting, said that Brown and the man both lived, at the time, in the same premises and they had known each other for about two months.

They got along well but, when Brown would  become argumentative and aggressive when he had been drinking.

On the day of the incident, both men had been drinking cider. They watched a film on TV and the other man fell asleep at 2.30am. He woke up and could not breathe.

‘He looked up and saw the defendant standing over him,’ said Miss Baines.

Brown had hold of a belt and was tightening it around the man’s neck. There was a look of anger on Brown’s face that scared the victim.

The man told Brown: ‘Stop – you are going to kill me.’ He tried to shove Brown away but the defendant did not stop pulling the belt tighter. The man lost consciousness.

When he came round, he saw that Brown had a pillow, which he was pressing down on the man’s face. ‘He felt himself losing consciousness,’ said Miss Baines.

The 31-year-old, of east Hull, also tried to suffocate him with a pillow as he begged for his life – before stopping and calling the police on himself. Pictured: Hull Crown Court

Brown stopped the attack and ran into the kitchen and began to cry. He telephoned 999 and said: ‘I have just tried to kill somebody.’

He admitted strangling the man with a belt and putting a cushion on his face. When asked why he had tried to kill the man, he said: ‘Honestly, I have absolutely no idea.’

The victim did not want the police to become involved. He was taken to a Bransholme medical centre but he refused to go to Hull Royal Infirmary because he did not want to wait.

‘He did obviously think that he was going to die,’ said Miss Baines. ‘There was no evidence of any long-lasting effect or significant effect.’

She said of Brown: ‘There is no evidence of any premeditation. This appears to have been a spontaneous attempt to kill. He made the call to the emergency services.’

Brown was sweating heavily when police spoke to him and he seemed to be in a state of shock.

He was arrested but made mainly no comment replies during police interview, apart from saying that he was ‘p***ed off and upset’ at the time.

He said that this was not his nature and he did not know what the trigger was. He could not remember why it happened.

Brown had convictions for 14 previous offences between January 2016 and June last year. They included assault and assaulting emergency workers.

Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said that Brown had been suffering from problems at the time and he had been drinking. ‘This was inexplicable,’ said Miss Kioko-Gilligan.

‘The defendant still has no understanding as to why he behaved in such a way. The defendant is finding it difficult to comprehend why he behaved in such a way.’

Brown hoped to keep off alcohol in the future.

‘He appreciates that he will be in custody for some time and he will put that time to good use,’ said Miss Kioko-Gilligan.’

Judge John Thackray KC said that the victim had been in a ‘state of terror’ at the time of the attack but Brown had shown genuine remorse.