A man's violence towards his girlfriend was uncovered after police arrived at a flat and found it covered in blood after one of his drug-fuelled attacks.
Shaun Cook, 49, subjected his girlfriend to "horrific" abuse throughout their 11-year relationship, frequently beating her and forcing her to take tablets, and controlling what she wore.
His campaign of terror came to a head on May 12 2023, when he flew into a rage when his then partner refused to take part in a sex act with his drug dealer. He then attacked her, strangled her and kicked her repeatedly.
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At Liverpool Crown Court today, July 10, prosecutor Zahra Baqri said the victim and Cook had met through their mutual addiction to drugs. She said: "She described the relationship as horrific. He was physically violent towards her from the very beginning. To numb the pain, she increased her alcohol and drug intake.
"He told her what to wear and how to wear her hair. If she did not comply, she was beaten. He inspected her telephone to see who she was contacting. He stopped her from seeing her family, including her son. She lost her home and drifted from place to place with the defendant. They lived a drug-fuelled, chaotic lifestyle."
In 2020 Cook, of Dorothy Street, Thatto Heath, began forcing the woman to take part in threesomes with himself and other men, and would beat her if she refused.
Ms Baqri said: "She did not ring the police as it had been drummed into her by the defendant that they would not believe her and that he would kill her if she spoke to them. She told the police that she was assaulted nearly every day by the defendant."
On May 12, Cook took cocaine and drank alcohol with his drug dealer in his flat, and ordered the woman to get money from a nearby cash machine so he could purchase more drugs. He "flew into a rage", causing the drug dealer to leave, when she refused to join in with a sex act.
Ms Baqri said: "As soon as the door closed, the defendant turned on (the woman). In an effort not to make matters even worse, she did not argue back. This seemed to make him even more angry.
"Without warning he kicked her to the face, with such force that her head was knocked backwards. He lunged towards her and grabbed her around the throat, whilst staring at her and screaming 'I hate you'. He was pushing his face towards her as his grip tightened. At that point (the woman) hoped that she would be killed, as that would end her time with him."
Cook then let go of the woman and kicked her three times to the face. He picked up a screwdriver and the woman feared she was going to be stabbed, and told him to "do it". But he instead turned the screwdriver on himself and stabbed himself in the hand.
The woman went into the bathroom and called the police, who arrived to find her "looking terrified and very distressed".
Ms Baqri said: "Her face, hands and clothes were covered in blood. The defendant’s hands were covered in blood. There was blood all over the bathroom floor and in the bath itself. There were also blood stains on the floor and walls in the entrance hall to the flat."
Cook became "extremely verbally and physically aggressive", and attempted to headbutt and bite two officers as he was restrained and moved into a police van.
Ms Baqri said: "Even when he was so restrained he continued to kick out and swing his head towards the officers. He also continued to utter vile abuse towards the officers, calling them f***ing k***heads, p****s, f*****s, that he was going to sleep with the officers’ mothers, and that he would slit their throats."
He pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, coercive and controlling behaviour, and two counts of assault on an emergency worker.
Michael Flynn, defending, said: "He accepts fully the case against him. He commented to me on the last occasion: 'I do not want to put her through anyone more than I already have'. He offers his apologies to the victim for what he put her through over a very prolonged period."
The court heard Cook had 83 previous convictions for 163 offences, including multiple drug offences, assaults, and attacks on emergency service workers.
He was sentenced by Judge Stuart Driver KC to a total of three years and three months in prison, and given a 10-year restraining order preventing him contacting his victim.
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