Violent boyfriend threatened to kill partner and their unborn child, Leeds Crown Court told

Callum Bascombe-Milton manipulated his girlfriend and put her through a catalogue of assaults over a two-year period, which forced her to lie about the bruises he inflicted.

Leeds Crown Court heard the pair met at school and moved to Leeds to attend university, but he became controlling and would physically abuse her, even when she fell pregnant.

She later underwent an abortion.

Bascombe-Milton, 23, of The Laurels, Moortown, admitted coercive control and a charge of assault.

In an impact statement from the victim, read out by prosecutor Samuel Ponniah, she said: “He threatened to kill me and the baby.

“I thought abortion would calm him down. I knew I could not bring a baby into this situation.

"At times I genuinely believed I was about to die with him being on top of me.”

The court was told the relationship went sour around Christmas 2018 after starting university, verbally insulting her and stopping her going out with friends.

Over the next two years he would attack her frequently, punching her and throwing objects at her.

It continued throughout 2019 when they moved into a flat in Leeds, and on one occasion put his hands around her neck and choked her.

Mr Ponniah said that the victim became “scared for her life”.

He later hit her in the face with a slipper which burst blood vessels in her eye.

Despite attempting to cover her cuts and bruises, she also took photos of her injuries and hid them on her phone where he could not find them – in case she died at his hands and the truth could be revealed.

She finally end the relationship in August 2020 and he began seeing another woman.

In November of that year, the victim went to his new girlfriend’s home to warn her of his violent ways, but he assaulted her again, pulling her hair and grabbing her phone.

He called the police and she spent time in police custody.

Mitigating, Matthew Stewart said he had no previous convictions, and said he was “naive and immature” with “limited life experience".

He added: “He understands that the victim did clearly not deserve what happened to her.

“He is ashamed of his behaviour and rightly so.

"He is remorseful and embarrassed. He knows his behaviour was completely unacceptable.”

He also said there had been no domestic issues in his new relationship.

The judge, Recorder Bryan Cox told Bascombe-Milton: “There’s no question that she was profoundly hurt by what you did.

"The impact of what you did to her will last for a long time.”

But given his age and remorse, he said he could suspend the inevitable prison sentence.

He gave him 18 months’ jail, suspended for two years, 150 hours of unpaid work, told him to pay £2,00 compensation and take part in a domestic violence awareness course.

He was also given a five-year restraining order, and warned him: “You have come very close to an immediate prison sentence.

“I hope you bear that in mind.”