Lee Mercer, a man who strangled his former partner and threatened to murder her and her children, has died in prison. Mercer, from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, was serving a four-year and seven-month sentence after pleading guilty in December 2024 to intentional strangulation, ABH, making threats to kill, and criminal damage.
Preston Crown Court heard that the then 44-year-old assaulted his victim in two separate attacks within a four-day period. During the incidents, Mercer throttled the woman and issued death threats. He also vowed to kill her children and demanded she choose which child would die first.
Violent episodes in summer 2024
Prosecutor Andrew MacIntosh revealed that Mercer's behaviour turned violent when he consumed alcohol and cocaine during summer 2024. He destroyed belongings and defaced photographs of the woman with her grandmother, as reported by Lancs Live. On one occasion, he threatened to take his own life as a 'punishment'.
On October 16, the woman stayed upstairs in her home to keep away from Mercer, who had been drinking and using drugs. However, he called her downstairs because he could not operate the television. Mercer became angry and put his arm around her neck in a chokehold, forcing her to the floor. The woman's ankle was in agony, and when Mercer kicked the bedroom door shut, it struck her wrist, causing pain.
Throughout the night, Mercer throttled the woman and inflicted violence on her. During one incident, he smashed a vodka bottle into her face. He also held a large kitchen knife against her throat while telling her to remain silent. Later, Mercer appeared to calm down and promised he would never harm her again.
Second attack and threats to kill children
On October 19, Mercer told the woman they were 'going to have words' after she had dropped her cousin home following an evening of drinking and music. Brandishing a pair of scissors, he declared 'you're going to die' before putting his arm around her neck in a stranglehold and punching her ribs. He threatened to murder her and her children, then demanded she buy cocaine for him, warning that if she did not return within half an hour, her children would be 'dead'.
The next day, the woman said she needed to take her child to the walk-in centre but instead contacted her mother for help. She went to her mother's house, where both women alerted police to the assaults.
Victim's impact statement
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "I was literally living in hell. He knew this. He told me I had met the devil referring to himself. I now know he is pure evil." She disclosed that she suffers from PTSD and cannot watch television as it triggers her symptoms. She carries guilt for trying to protect her children while Mercer threatened to kill them.
She no longer attends exercise classes or takes daily walks as she once did. "I find myself waking up in the night screaming and crying," she said. "I feel like Lee is in bed next to me, calling me a slag and telling me it's going to be me or the kids first. I find myself isolating myself inside the house. My friends have noticed how much I have changed. They say I am no longer my happy self and I am closed off."
She added: "It is traumatising. I don't deserve the behaviour he has inflicted on me. Even though he can't get to me I am still afraid. He is the devil - he has not only destroyed my life, he has destroyed me."
Death in prison
After his imprisonment, Mercer was transferred to HMP Wymott, near Leyland, where he died on 14 July 2026 at the age of 45. A representative for the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said: "An independent investigation into Lee Mercer's death at HMP Wymott on 14 July 2026 has begun. We will make our final report public after the inquest concludes."
