A SUCCESSFUL woman has spoken of being driven out of her home by the bully ex who throttled her, smothered her and spat in her face.

The victim suffered her ordeal at the hands of barman Christopher Morris, pictured here, whom she met over the internet and who was jailed this week at Worcester Crown Court.

His behaviour included confiscating her keys, phone and work laptop, monitoring her use of social media, slapping her, throttling her, threatening to kill her, strangling her, smothering her with a cushion and threatening to kill himself if he left her, deluging her with phone calls and texts and even asking that she send him photos to prove where she was and what she was doing.

As previously reported, the 32-year-old 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 after calling her names at the gym.

Morris 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. However, he only changed his pleas to guilty at the last minute so that his victim was compelled to come to court.

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

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.

The court heard that the victim was a successful woman, earning £84,000 a year while Morris, who had discussed marrying and having children with her, earned £24,000 per year, working first at a bar in Evesham and then getting work at a bar in Bewdley once he moved in with her.

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.

James Bruce, prosecuting, summarised the woman's victim personal statement. "She has ongoing anxiety and panic attacks, suffers from flashbacks and nightmares resulting in her struggling to sleep and loss of appetite and he has undermined her general sense of security and safety even when she is with her parents."

She feared she would lose her job and had sold her house 'because she didn't feel safe there'.

"It was tainted by all he did to her there" said Mr Bruce. She has also had to 'build back up her confidence at work' - the court heard how Morris confiscated her laptop while she was working remotely and made false accusations she was sleeping with a colleague. Working for 15 years, she had built up a good reputation, the court heard.

"She was isolated from her friends and family. She is rebuilding these relationships" said Mr Bruce. The victim also said she 'feels strange trying to make decisions for herself and feels it's a struggle to be independent' following his behaviour. She also feels she will not feel able to trust anyone 'for a long time'.

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

Judge James Burbidge QC said if the victim had met Morris's two previous partners 'she would have known your real character'. He told Morris that the victim had 'treated you well', providing him with a home and buying him a car. He noted that Morris, who had assaulted a previous partner, sought out 'successful women'.

Judge Burbidge, who described some of Morris's behaviour as a form of gaslighting, said: "You exercised control over her in numerous ways that have been outlined comprehensively by the prosecution."

He went on to say: "She was driven out of her own home."

Judge Burbidge 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.