A man subjected his partner to an ordeal of "abusive coercive behaviour", which included spitting in her face after demanding money for beer.
John Pitt, 39, of Leyland Road, Southport was jailed for 27 months at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday (March 29) having pleaded guilty to putting a person in fear of harassment. A probation report showed he represents a high risk of re-offending.
Recorder David Knifton, QC told Pitt, who repeatedly spat in the victim’s face, “Over a period of several months you subjected her to an ordeal of abusive coercive behaviour." He added: "Your conduct was intended to maximise the fear and distress of your victim and involved persistent action over a prolonged period. It involved significant psychological harm and caused her to make significant changes to her life style to avoid contact with you."
READ MORE: Britain's 'scariest wife' punched husband and took 'pleasure' in family's suffering
Pitt threatened to get his former partner assaulted by others and, even after their four month relationship ended, he would plague her with abusive texts and phone calls.
Bernadette Campbell, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that, about four weeks after forming a relationship with his victim, Pitt “started dictating to her.” He would tell what type of food to eat, where she could go and who she could see and whether she could go to work or not.
He would call her derogatory names and say she was fat. His behaviour deteriorated further and during a row, after he demanded money for beer, he spat in her face. Miss Campbell said: “She consequently sought refuge in a neighbour’s flat”.
When she again refused his demands for money later the same month “he threatened her with a knuckle duster.” When she retaliated by picking up a hammer he squashed her behind a door in her own home and kept her there.
On a later occasion he stopped her leaving her home after his unsuccessful demands for cash and threatened to kill himself, which concerned her as she knew he had previously self-harmed.
Miss Campbell added: “Eventually she managed to get into her bathroom and called her neighbour. She had heard the argument but it was so common she had initially ignored it but once she received a text saying she was unable to get out of her property she came round to assist.”
She brought her two brothers along to help and saw Pitt “shouting in the victim’s face and spitting at her.” On later occasions Pitt repeatedly messaged her demanding money using various phones to do so and when he turned up at her home, after she had complained to police, he again spat in her face.
He sent her aggressive texts and she was terrified and feared he would seriously assault her. When later interviewed he accepted arguing but denied spitting or threatening her.
In an impact statement the victim said Pitt's behaviour had impacted on her mental health. She said: “After the relationship ended I made the decision to terminate my pregnancy, I was ten weeks pregnant. The baby was his.”
She explained she felt she had no choice, adding: “I knew if I kept the baby he would always have a connection with me.” The victim said how she was afraid of going out in case she met him and added that she had lost money while with him as he would not always let her go to work.
She had had to move home and was left with sleep difficulties and his behaviour had made lock down even more difficult. The court heard that Pitt has 22 previous convictions for 39 offences and was the subject of a community order at the time of this offending.
Carmel Wilde, defending, said: “He has expressed genuine remorse for his shameful actions.” He had been drinking to excess which stemmed back to a traumatic incident when he was stabbed in 2014 and he has had symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder since then.
Miss Wilde added: “His coping mechanism is to turn to drink and drugs rather than therapy,” He is now open to therapy and has completely stopped drinking and taking drugs. She continued: “He says, ‘It was wrecking my life and the lives of others’."
The judge, who pointed out that Pitt had caused his victim further distress by only pleading guilty on the day his trial was due to begin, imposed a 10 year restraining order to keep away from her.
