A BULLY smothered his partner with a cushion, throttled her, spat in her face and threatened to kill her during a campaign of violence.

Christopher Morris was jailed for three years for a campaign of control and abuse which included confiscating his ex's phone, her work laptop and her keys and taking away her puppy.

He also made false accusations of infidelity, told her what to wear and how much make-up she should have on, followed her 'bumper to bumper' in his car and tried to control her use of social media.

The 32-year-old admitted controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, two assaults by beating and threats to kill when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday, on what would have been the first day of his trial.

The behaviour lasted between June 1 last year and January 9 this year in Kidderminster.

West Mercia Police did not have a custody photo of the defendant available for use and as he was remanded in custody we were unable to provide one ourselves.

The controlling and coercive behaviour had a 'serious effect' upon his victim and involved 'making unfounded allegations of infidelity, objecting to her clothing and use of makeup, restricting and monitoring her social media contact, being repeatedly abusive and demeaning' which caused her to fear on at least two occasions that violence will be used against her, the court heard.

She has suffered panic attacks, flashbacks, sleepless nights and nightmares since, the complainant told the court in a victim personal statement.

The complainant described him as 'a bully to me who constantly made me feel guilty and belittled me when I dared to defy him'.

One of the assaults took place on December 15 last year and another on December 28 last year. The threats to kill were made between December 19 and 23 last year.

James Bruce, prosecuting, opened the case on Wednesday, the day of his sentence, saying that Morris had been working in a bar in Evesham when he took up work in Bewdley, moving in with the complainant.

The couple had met each other online before he moved in with her in mid August last year. She took out loans and even bought him a car, moving around £20,000 into his account.

However, by the autumn Morris was described as exercising control over who she could see, interrupting her work by pestering her while she was on video calls while working remotely.

During the campaign of control, Mr Bruce described how Morris:

  • Asked her to send photos to prove where she was
  • Forced her to hang up the phone to her manager
  • Accused her of having an affair with a male colleague at work
  • Interrogated her about 'who she was getting dressed up for'
  • Grabbed her laptop off her while she was working, causing her to fall over
  • Stood on her feet so she could not move away while accusing her of having sex with other people 'because she couldn't help herself'.
  • Threw her mobile phone at her, causing her to 'cry in pain' then would not co-operate in getting her medical attention

Describing one assault, Mr Bruce said: "He began to shout close in her face, grabbed her by the throat which caused her to struggle to breathe."

As a result she hid in the bathroom where her injuries made her physically sick. Morris later dragged her out of the bathroom by her hair, the complainant only letting him in because she feared he would break down the door.

"He pinned her down on the bed with Mr Morris saying it was her fault for not putting him first" said Mr Bruce. She was flung off the bed into a wall, suffering bruising to her knee and leg.

The prosecutor also described how he took her puppy away from her and would call her names, attacking her insecurities and tried to prevent her leaving their home, telling her: "Try and leave and see what happens next. See if I lose my temper."

He poured Red Bull over her during another incident. On December 15 last year he 'hocked up phlegm and spat in her eyes' and grabbed her jaw and squeezed.

"She thought he was going to break her jaw and tasted blood from her cheek" said Mr Bruce. That attack lasted about a minute.

The threat to kill came after the defendant had bombarded her with 77 calls while she was with her older sister. Morris left his shift early, returning home.

Mr Bruce told the court: "He said they could do this the easy way or the hard way. They could talk or he could kill her. She took it seriously."

During this incident 'he pointed to the sofa cushion and promised to suffocate her before she would have the chance to scream'.

But when her sister returned the house Morris 'changed tack'. "He cried, begged her (his partner) not to leave and said he was suicidal," said Mr Bruce.

On December 28 last year he attacked her by holding a cushion over her face and 'making good on his threat put it over her face to try and suffocate her'. She described blood coming from her nose and mouth and she was in difficulty breathing. Morris told her his actions were 'because of your attitude'.

He also called her names at their gym on January 4 this year, threw her car keys at her and 'promised her it would be World War Three when they got back' before following her in his own car, 'bumper to bumper' and tried to rip her windscreen wipers off.

Judge James Burbidge QC jailed Morris, now of Jenks Avenue, Wolverhampton for three years and imposed a seven-year restraining order in relation to the complainant and her mother, father and sister.