MONSTER BOYFRIEND PUNCHED, STRANGLED AND SPAT AT PARTNER IN RELATIONSHIP FROM HELL
'Monster' Owen Meredith has been jailed after he subjected his former partner to prolonged domestic violence.The 27-year-old tried to control his victim by telling her what clothes and make-up to wear.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he was jealous and accused her of being unfaithful and looking at other men.
He frequently assaulted her by punching her, spitting at her and strangling her to the extent that the terrified victim believed he was going to kill her.
And when she courageously reported the abuse to the police, the defendant stalked his victim by sending her emails and cards in which he said he loved her and asked her to resume the relationship.
Now Meredith has been jailed for 25 months after the judge branded him a coward and a bully.
Prosecutor James Hudson said the defendant and his victim began a relationship in April 2022.
Mr Hudson said: "She described how it started off well but the defendant's behaviour deteriorated.
He was threatening and abusive.
He would stop her seeing her friends and family.
When he left the flat he would lock her inside and take the key with him.
He was violent against her on multiple occasions." On June 3, 2022 she went to a family gathering at a pub.
The defendant was not happy about and they later argued.
Mr Hudson said: "He did not like her answers.
He hit her in the face once.
When they got back home she was upset and sat on the sofa crying.
He stood over her and asked her to stop crying.
He grabbed her throat for 15 seconds.
She could not breathe.
Her face went red.
She was left with bruising to her neck and finger marks.
He threw her and her phone on the floor before leaving." The court heard the victim went away to London and Meredith was once again not happy.
Mr Hudson said: "He told her what clothes she was allowed to wear and she was not allowed to wear make-up.
He asked her to send a picture.
He became angry when he saw she was wearing mascara.
Out of fear, she washed it off." "When she returned, on July 2, 2022, he was at work at Sainsbury's and she waited for him to come out.
She told him she wanted to end the relationship.
He squeezed her arm tightly.
She cried out in pain.
She tried to walk away.
He grabbed her tightly.
He told her she needed to be quiet and get in the car.
He carried on digging his keys in her back." On July 23, 2022 the pair had been to the cinema and at the end of the film he accused her of looking at other men.
As they drove home he punched her to her lip.
She was able to run out of the car.
He ran after her, pulled her back and pushed her in.
Meredith strangled his victim on November 11, 2022.
Mr Hudson said: "She had been walking home with a male colleague and felt she had to let the defendant know about it.
She said she was having a bath.
He accused her of needing a bath because she had been unfaithful to him." "He grabbed her throat, pushed her on the bed and strangled her.
It lasted for seconds.
He grabbed at her and started to punch her in her legs and on both sides of her body.
She slapped him and told him to get out of the house.
He grabbed fistfuls of her hair.
The assault caused bruising." The victim reported the matters to the police on November 13, 2022.
He was bailed but breached the terms by contacting her by email and cards in which he professed his love for her and asked her to resume their relationship.
The victim read a moving victim impact statement to the court in which she said Meredith's actions have had a profound effect upon her: "I endured months of abuse from him.
It was a prolonged period of fear, manipulation and complete loss of control." "He strangled me until I was blue in the face and could no longer breathe.
He punched me, spat on me, slapped me.
Nothing was off limits.
I genuinely believed I was going to die.
To this day I still suffer nightmares.
My sense of security was taken away from me by this one single person.
His actions changed the rest of my life.
I am constantly looking over my shoulder.
The impact is real, ongoing and profound.
It was a sustained pattern of profound abuse and control." "I hope you can see what you did to me was cruel.
I hope and pray that you do not ever treat a woman the same way as you treated me.
I am a survivor.
But if this were to happen again, they might not be." Meredith, of Prime Street, Hanley, pleaded guilty to two charges of controlling and coercive behaviour; three charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm; strangulation and stalking.
Thomas Duggan, mitigating, said 232 days spent on a qualifying curfew should be deducted from the sentence.
He said Meredith was of good character before these offences and had not committed offences since.
Mr Duggan said: "He is a son, partner and friend to many and not just the monster that the victim was unfortunate to encounter." He said Meredith had matured since the offending and added that the defendant knew an immediate prison sentence was almost inevitable.
Recorder Robert Smith made Meredith the subject of a restraining order which prevents him contacting his victim for 15 years.
Recorder Smith said: "The relationship turned sour and toxic because you made it that way.
You tried to stop her seeing friends and family, often locked her inside the flat you shared and you assaulted her frequently.
You do show some insight and remorse for your behaviour.
There is plainly now, some years on from this offending, a different side to your character.
Your partner describes you in glowing terms.
I think you have grown up." "If you treat people like you treated your victim you are going to end up spending most of your adult life behind bars.
Persistent, prolonged, nasty domestic abuse like this is exceptionally serious.
In my judgement, immediate imprisonment is inevitable.
You treated her in an abhorrent fashion.
You treated her like a piece of property for you to control.
You behaved in a cowardly fashion and a bully that made her life a misery."
