Kingswood man Millen Cox punched, kicked and bit his girlfriend, slapped her with a BB gun and told her if she left him he would kill her. And as a result he's turning 23 in prison, a court heard.
Bristol Crown Court was told Cox subjected the complainant to prolonged abuse after their relationship turned toxic. She claimed he held her head underwater and assaulted her when she told him she was pregnant, causing her to have a miscarriage.
Cox, 22, of Crates Close, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear and false imprisonment.
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Judge William Hart jailed him for 38 months. He told Cox: "You turn 23 on Thursday. You'll be spending that birthday in custody and the reason is entirely your own fault.
"You were involved in a relationship which was intermittently abusive. There were good times, there were bad times and the criminal bad times are what you have pleaded guilty to."
The judge ordered the BB gun used by Cox to be destroyed. He imposed an indefinite restraining order banning Cox from all contact with the complainant.
Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, told the court Cox became 'violent and controlling' in the relationship, including head butting her and threatening to break her nose. He said the complainant alleged Cox held her head underwater in a bath and assaulted her when she was pregnant, causing a miscarriage - both incidents denied by Cox.
The court heard in October last year Cox collected the complainant from a night out in Bristol and took her to his flat, where he punched and kicked her. Mr Gordon said: "He bit her to the face, threatened her with an imitation firearm and slapped her with the firearm several times. He said if she left him he was going to kill her. She believed the gun looked real."
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When Cox's friend rang him the complainant made good her escape, the court heard, and went to a neighbour for help. Police called in located Cox in a communal area, 'red dotted' him with a Taser and arrested him.
Cox gave police a prepared statement denying wrongdoing. Daniel Woodman, defending, said: "The relationship became particularly toxic and it was clear they were not good for each other. He does not object to the restraining order."
Mr Woodman said his client stopped work due to surgery, became bored and started drinking and using controlled drugs. Mr Woodman said: "He does not accept holding her head under water. He was never shown any proof she was pregnant.
"There is footage of the defendant videoing himself cutting up clothes. That was at his home, taking clothes she left there, cutting them up and flushing them down the toilet."
