Manipulative and violent man jailed for terrifying attacks on women

*Issued on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police*

A manipulative and violent man has been jailed for more than seven years after subjecting two women to terrifying serious assaults which left them fearing for their lives, and sending multiple women sexually explicit images.

Tobias King, of no fixed abode, became the subject of an extensive manhunt in 2025 after he repeatedly strangled and seriously assaulted a woman at a hotel in Honiton.

The 36-year-old, who has previously lived in Devon and Somerset, left her in the room unconscious and stole her purse and phone, a court heard.

He evaded police for nearly two weeks by staying in tents and hotels but was caught after using a bank card he had stolen.

King was remanded in custody and has since pleaded guilty to strangulation, false Imprisonment, threats to kill, actual bodily harm and theft.

At his sentencing hearing at Exeter Crown Court on Wednesday 9 September, the court heard police were called by the general manager of the Premier Inn in Honiton in late 2025, at 9am, reporting a woman with significant injuries had attended the hotel reception in a distressed state, requesting immediate assistance.

Her injuries included extensive bruising to both arms, her neck, legs, face and nose.

The victim, who had been staying overnight at the hotel, told police she had been subjected to repeated physical assaults. This included multiple incidents of being strangled, causing her to lose consciousness on separate occasions.

In a statement to police, she described how each time she regained consciousness, the assault continued and King stated he ‘had to kill her’ and that he was ‘not going to prison for anyone’.

She added he took her mobile phone and purse before leaving the room and fleeing the hotel in the early hours of the morning at around 3am.

The assault left the victim with extreme facial bruising and throat damage which left her barely able to talk for months.

After King was apprehended, he was also charged with an outstanding offence of a serious assault against another woman in similar circumstances.

He attacked her in a hotel room in Bournemouth in late 2022. He was said to have put his hands around her neck and squeezed so hard that she couldn’t breathe.

He then attacked her again two weeks later. He threw her on a sofa, hitting her in the head and using both hands to strangle her, causing swelling and bruising.

The following month he sent her social media messages asking her to drop the case against him, as well as sending her sexually explicit videos.

King admitted two counts of intentional strangulation, one count of common assault and one count of sending indecent images to the victim.

King also pleaded guilty to four counts of sending a photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation. The charges related to sending several women unsolicited pictures of his genitalsbetween January and October 2025 using different numbers and social media platforms, despite being told to stop.

A guilty plea was also given for a charge of sending unsolicited sexually explicit images and videos in February 2021 to a woman in Bristol through email and WhatsApp.

For all the offences he was handed an extended sentence for a total of 10 years, of which 88 months is a custodial sentence, and was given an indefinite restraining order against the two strangulation victims. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and will be subject to notification and reporting rules.

Detective Constable Nathan Ralph, of Devon & Cornwall Police, said: “The victims have shown incredible bravery throughout the investigation, and their commitment to engaging in the criminal justice process has ensured that this dangerous offender will not be able to harm anyone else.

“Violence against women and girls is a priority in our force area, and these convictions exemplify our dedication to apprehending high-risk perpetrators.

“We would urge any persons that have been victims of abuse to talk to us; you will be listened to and taken seriously.”

Detective Sergeant Duncan Sandle, of Avon & Somerset Police, said: “Tobias King is a violent and manipulative offender who is a danger to any woman.

“The victims have shown incredible bravery and resilience, and I hope this outcome helps them with the ongoing recovery process so they can move forward with their lives.

“I also hope this successful conviction sends out a clear message to all those who commit offences of violence and abuse – we will pursue you and you will be held accountable for your crimes.”