POSSESSIVE LEEDS EX PUT WOMAN 'THROUGH HELL'
A man known for domestic violence threats his girlfriend with death and vows to destroy her mother’s home.Callum Mortimer, who has a documented history of abusive behavior, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court for his aggressive actions against his partner.
The woman described ongoing therapy struggles, difficulty sleeping and eating, and feelings of severe anxiety and worthlessness.
In a statement read aloud in court, she expressed: “Two years of hell he put my family through.
We are all suffering day to day.
I can’t keep living like this.
All I want is closure and justice for what he put me and family through.” Prosecutor Gareth Henderson-Moore explained that the couple’s relationship initially seemed good, but Mortimer’s substance abuse led him to become paranoid about infidelity.
This resulted in multiple assaults, during which he would confiscate her phone to inspect it.
The woman said she fell into feelings of isolation and despair.
On one occasion, while driving, Mortimer attacked her, hitting her arms and face and causing her to lose a tooth.
On October 28 of the previous year, she was out drinking when he contacted her and threatened to harm her if she did not meet him.
Feeling trapped, she complied.
When they arrived home, she fell asleep, and he rifled through her phone.
He then dragged her from the bed, assaulted her physically, and threw her around.
To stop her from calling for help, he broke her phone and shattered a television.
He even covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
Furthermore, Mortimer locked the doors and windows to keep her from escaping.
Hours later, she convinced him that she would not tell anyone, which allowed her to leave.
The 27-year-old, residing on Queenswood Drive in Headingley, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm and coercive control, but only after his trial had commenced.
He was appearing via video from HMP Leeds, where he is detained on remand.
His criminal record includes two prior convictions for five offenses, including violence toward a woman.
Defense lawyer Timothy Jacobs stated Mortimer received support from family members and has been a “model prisoner” during his incarceration.
Judge Recorder Andrew Latimer sentenced him to three years in prison along with a five-year restraining order, commenting: “You used multiple methods to achieve that control and coercion.
There were threats of violence and you even knocked out one of her teeth.”
