A violent and manipulative boyfriend who dished out regular brutal beatings to his terrified partner threatened to either kill himself, rape her friends or harm animals if ever she left him.
Rikki Pavlou, 29, from Falmouth, Cornwall, even laced his partner's drink with drugs as part of his control over her after getting in a relationship around the time of the first lockdown.
He appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to stalking, controlling or coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation, Cornwall Live reported.
READ MORE: Boozy Benidorm holidaymaker falls on his 'skinny' a*se as weight of wet towels too much
Prosecuting the case, Ramsay Quaife described the depraved treatment he meted out to his "emotionally vulnerable" partner.
Mr Quaife said: "Her mum described her as someone with a history of mental health issues who was emotionally vulnerable.
"The relationship was violent and abusive and throughout the relationship there were incidents when he was violent towards her. He'd punch her, kick her, spit at her and his main thing was to grab her by the throat.
"The violence was a regular occurrence and she'd accept the beating as she was too scared to go to the police or reach out to seek help."
Mr Quaife told the court how Pavlou would put Valium in the victim's drink. She'd only find out when she finished a drink and find its residue and she then became dependant on it.
He added: "Whenever she tried to separate he'd tell her he'd kill himself, rape her male friends or do terrible things to animals."
UK weather maps reveal how long storms will last before 30C heatwave returns
The court was told how on one occasion in December 2021 Pavlou grabbed her by the throat, punched her to the floor and then repeatedly kicked her.
In October 2022 Pavlou knocked her phone out of her hand and pinned his screaming victim against the wall. She escaped to the bathroom but Pavlou kicked his way in, causing the door to swing and hit the victim's head.
He was arrested last year and released with bail conditions that he breached right away by attending the victim's address and threatening her if she supported a prosecution. He also called and messaged her.
Pavlou was said to have PTSD and "when not on substances is a decent person".
Pavlou was jailed for four years and four months. A restraining order will be imposed once its terms are agreed over coming days.
To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Read Full Article