Man Sentenced For Strangling Girlfriend Unconscious: Howard County Prosecutor

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A 37-year-old man has been sentenced after pleading guilty in July to first-degree assault and possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence conviction.

On May 21, 2022, Christopher Banks' girlfriend at the time called police to report that Banks had assaulted her inside her home by strangling her to the point of unconsciousness. She was able to leave her home and get in her vehicle, which is when she called police. Officers who arrived on the scene saw injuries on her neck, according to the police report.

On May 25, 2022, police detectives saw Banks driving in the Columbia area and apprehended him. They obtained and executed a search and seizure warrant for the vehicle he was driving and found a handgun in his fanny pack.

Banks has been sentenced to a total of 15 years and will be on three years of supervised probation after completing his sentence. He's to undergo mental health treatment, drug and alcohol treatment, domestic violence counseling and have no contact with the victim.