Newcastle domestic abuser jailed for attacking ex-girlfriend

A domestic abuser who deliberately crashed his ex-girlfriend’s car, threatened her with a knife and ordered her not to tell the police has been jailed.

Joshua Sullivan, 24, carried out a campaign of emotional, psychological and physical abuse against his partner during their two-year relationship, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

After she broke up with him, he bombarded her with calls before attacking her, stealing her car and threatening to kill her.

Sullivan, of no fixed abode, admitted several offenses including aggravated vehicle taking, assault, harassment and witness intimidation. He was imprisoned for three years and four months.

The couple’s relationship ended in March this year despite Sullivan attempting to use “emotional blackmail” and threatening harm, prosecutor Susannah Proctor said.

During a night out in Newcastle on March 23, he called the woman 13 times from an unknown number and the victim felt she had no choice but to take him to her home in Wallsend, the court heard.

At her home he attacked her repeatedly, then took her Citroen C3 and deliberately ran over her, Ms Proctor said.

He also got a kitchen knife and lunged at the woman, telling her he would kill her, a threat he had made several times before, before starting to slit his own neck, we heard the court.

After being arrested and released on bail, he called the woman again 24 times over a four-hour period on April 1 and told her not to hang up or he would come to her house because he had “nothing left to lose,” Ms. Proctor said. said.

He told the woman not to make any more statements to police, which amounted to witness intimidation, the court heard.

In a statement read to the court, the woman said Sullivan had been repeatedly violent throughout their relationship, including regularly biting her face.

She said he “quickly picked up on” her insecurities and “took advantage of them”, regularly insulting her and destroying her self-confidence while isolating her from friends and family.

The woman had to give him money for nights out with his friends, but she was not allowed to go out and socialize, the court heard.

When she became pregnant, he told her she had to keep the baby so it could be proven she hadn’t cheated on him, the court heard, and when she refused, he told her punched him in the stomach.

She said he often hurt himself in front of her and blamed her, telling her that one day he would kill himself and the police would blame him and send him to prison.

The night he took his car, he drove through multiple bus lanes to generate massive fines “out of spite” that she had to pay, the woman said.

She said she was always afraid of him and what he would do next.

In mitigation, the court heard about his problems with his alcohol and drug use and he sought counseling.

A restraining order prohibiting Sullivan, who had multiple prior convictions for offenses including robbery and burglary, from contacting the woman or going to her home or place of work, was also issued.

He was also banned from driving for three years and one month.