A victim of domestic abuse managed to escape from her violent and controlling partner after she walked into a shop and used a code word.
Staff at the boots store in Bootle recognised the secret code when the frightened woman came up to the counter and asked for “Ani”.
Pharmacy workers knew that meant that the woman needed help and they took her to a back room and kept her safe.
The police were called and her abuser, Anthony Ballard, was arrested and questioned by cops.
At first he denied the allegations but he has now pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Jailing Ballard for two years, judge Stuart Driver, QC said his coercive behaviour offence spanned months and the woman’s victim impact statement revealed she has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and been prescribed medication.
He told Ballard, of Marsh Lane, Bootle, he accepted his "mental health has been poor but appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate imprisonment".
He also imposed a ten year restraining order to keep away from his victim.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that at the time of the offences he was on licence from a six year sentence for a conspiracy to commit burglaries imposed in 2017.
He has already been recalled on licence and is not due for release until July next year. The new sentence is to run concurrently.
Derek Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that the victim met 30-year-old Ballard via a dating website at the end of 2020 and for the first few months their relationship was good.
As time passed she realised he was “very insecure and very jealous and wanted to know where she had been and thinking she had been sleeping with other men".
Mr Jones said the first time Ballard was violent towards her was in March or April last year “when they were in bed and she compared him unfavourably to her previous partners. He got very angry and grabbed her by the hair.
“He pinned her to the bed with one hand on her shoulder and said, ‘I’ll blow your head off’.
"He left her with bruising to the arm and some of her hair was pulled out.
“Immediately afterwards he poured water over her and called her ‘a fat mess.’ He said he was with her because no one else would go with her and spat in her face.”
Ballard would take her phone from her and go through it and her social media accounts.
The victim told police she had no photographs of her injuries as he would go through her phone and delete images.
Ballard made disparaging remarks about her body and would tell her what shops she could go to.
He would also make her take the dog with her as he thought it would mean she would not be able to go into the homes of other people.
Mr Jones said Ballard was violent on a second occasion when he “poured water over her and the contents of a large ashtray on her head. She said she had never felt so humiliated in all her life".
Mr Jones said that on another day he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her up four steps. He would dictate what she wore and then deleted messages from friends on her phone and played on her insecurities.
In an impact statement the woman said that she has since needed medication to sleep.
She has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and says she hates herself for what had happened.
Mr Jones said: "She talks about brain fog most days and hearing his voice calling her a fat s***.
“It has left her feeling drained and her self-esteem is destroyed. She does not go out anymore unless she absolutely has to.”
Mr Jones added the victim's relationships with friends and family has suffered and she is afraid what will happen after he is released.
He said that the couple’s relationship had begun about six months after being released from his last jail sentence.
Ken Heckle, defending, said that Ballard had been “obsessive and over jealous” and he should have realised what was happening in their relationship.
“He was genuine about their relationship but clearly is immature about how to conduct relationships.”
Mr Heckle added that remorseful Ballard clearly needs assistance and help to deal with relationships in the future.
