A man who killed his girlfriend during an argument is today beginning a 14-year jail sentence for manslaughter.

Ruth Binns, 26, died after a pre-existing medical condition that affected her breathing was exacerbated by an assault at the hands of Arnold Astwood.

The court heard how Astwood, 36, fled the scene in a panic after he pushed or punched Ms Binns and she collapsed, apparently dead.

He had a long history of being physically abusive to her and other women.

The punishment meted out yesterday by Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves was welcomed by Alea Dill, sister of the victim.

She told The Royal Gazette, "I'm satisfied with the 14-year jail sentence. I would like him to get more, but 14 years is satisfactory, although I want to say it was f****d-up that he didn't call for help.

"Someone was in the house and I was next door and he knew this."

Astwood pleaded guilty to manslaughter on January 12, the date his trial for murder was due to begin.

Giving a summary of the evidence yesterday, Director of Public Prosecutions Rory Field said Ms Binns, of Camp Hill Road, Southampton, suffered from a goitre (swelling) in her throat that is caused by an enlarged thyroid gland. This sometimes made it hard for her to breathe.

Mr. Field said she and Astwood had been in an intimate relationship for around five years and Astwood had previously been physically abusive to her.

Around 8 p.m. on September 24, 2007 Ms Binns arrived home along with one of her sisters who lived in the same residential complex.

She cooked dinner and waited for the arrival of Astwood who turned up around 10 p.m. having consumed what the prosecutor described as "a quantity of alcohol".He met Ms Binns outside on the porch and the pair then went into her bedroom together, closing the door behind them. According to her roommate, she came out of her room around 11.30 p.m and did not have any signs of injury. She then returned to her room.Her roommate, who was watching TV in the living room heard Ms Binns said "stop it, stop it" and then heard moaning noises coming from the bedroom.

According to Mr. Field:"He assumed the noises were the deceased and the defendant having sexual intercourse.

He turned up the volume to drown out the noises. Moments later he released the noises had stopped."The prosecutor said Astwood was seen by the roommate to peek his head twice around the bedroom door before leaving the residence. Ms Binns was not seen alive agai

Approximately 7.05 a.m the next day her roommate left for work without seeing or hearing from her. Around 7.45 a.m. Ms Binns' sister found her naked in her bedroom, seated on the floor with her back against the foot of the bed, slumped over and unresponsive. Ms Binns had blood on her face and upper torso and right hand. An ambulance was called but she was certified dead later that morning and Astwood was arrested on suspicion of murder.Mr. Field detailed a post-mortem report by Forensic Pathologist Michael Pollanen.

This said Ms Binns died as the result of pressure being applied to her goitre which was prominent on the front right side of her neck. Dr. Pollanen said that pressure to the neck caused compression of the airway due to Ms Binns' enlarged thyroid gland and there was "incontrovertible"evidence of injury to the neck.Dr. Pollanen's report did not list how this compression / injury occurred. Defence lawyer Charles Richardson took exception when Justice Greaves remarked that Astwood must have been aware of her condition and "there must have been some deliberateness in his mind to impose some bodily harm when he grabbed her in the area where he did".

Despite Mr. Richardson's strong and repeated objections over what he'd said, Mr. Justice Greaves ordered him to sit down and be quiet.

The pathologist's report also explained how Ms Binns' goitre with thyroid problems also led to scarring in her heart, which may have been a factor in her death.

And he listed a number of facial injuries, including bruises on her face and neck and upper lip which were consistent with her being struck in her face several times.Astwood told the Police that he and Ms Binns had argued about some girls he was supposed to be messing around with. "I've been going with her five years. She's dead. This is some f****d up s**t," he told detectives.

Astwood told the Police that Ms Binns slapped his face during the argument over women and he either punched or pushed her back, causing her to fall and hit the wall of her bedroom.

Astwood said he saw blood and shook her and tried to revive her, but she seemed to be dead.Astwood said he poked his head out of the door a couple of times in panic and then left. Detectives found Ms Binns' blood found under his fingernails and on clothing he'd worn that night as well as on his car.

Detective Sergeant Arthur Glasford read a number of previous assault convictions accumulated by Astwood, a father-of-three. These include four prior attacks on two other women.

Asking the judge to jail Astwood for 10 to 14 years, Mr. Field said MsBinns was a particularly vulnerable victim of his violence, bearing in mind her health problems."The defendant must have been aware of her medical condition.

He had been out with her for five years. He made this matter worse by not seeking medical assistance for someone he was supposedly in a relationship with," he told the court.

The judge heard how Astwood told the Police on multiple occasions that he did not mean to kill Ms Binns, at one point telling Detective Constable Don DeSilva:"I didn't mean to kill her, she was my friend." This was repeated by defence lawyer Mr. Richardson, who said:"This was an unintentional killing committed in circumstances as unique as they were unfortunate."Mr. Richardson said Astwood noticed Ms Binns had difficulty breathing and tried to help her by sitting her up and shaking her, but he panicked and left when he should have sought medical attention.

The lawyer stressed that Ms Binns' "inherent frailties" meant that she died in circumstances someone else could have safely survived.

He asked for a sentence of four to six years to be considered.To the sound of crying from Ms Binns' friends in the public gallery, Astwood told the court:"Iwould like to apologise to Ruth's family, my family, I never meant for none of this to happen.

I apologise for leaving her like that. I'm sorry."Sentencing Astwood, Mr. Justice Greaves urged women to leave men who are violent pointing out that if they hit once they will hit again. He said it should not seem that he was blaming Ms Binns, but he wanted to send a message to other women that might save their lives. Sending a message to the Island's men, the judge warned:"Only a coward beats his woman".

Speaking after the case, Mr. Richardson said he planned to appeal Mr. Astwood's sentence.

Dill family begins a new chapter

The 14-year manslaughter sentence meted out to Arnold Astwood marks the end of a tragic chapter for the family of victim Ruth Binns.

Less than a year before her death at his hands, she lost her brother Edward (Sleepy) Dill, who was stabbed to death by his girlfriend Andrina Smith in the midst of a domestic dispute. Smith is serving an eight-year sentence.

Her father Allan Dill who had ten children in total was found dead from natural causes in the doorway of a Hamilton store just six weeks ago.

Ruth's sister, and Mr. Dill's daughter, Alea Dill believes his death was sparked by the stress of all that happened to the family.

"My family has been through too much. I lost my brother to domestic violence and my sister," she said. "It's easy to forgive but it's hard to forget. We will never forget what Astwood has done and what he's put my family though."

She praised Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves for sending out a message yesterday that women must not tolerate domestic violence.

"If you're having issues, one of you should just walk out of it," she urged.