Bully attacked girlfriend at Hull swimming baths
MAN THREW PHONE AT PARTNER’S HEAD
A YOUNG man’s tantrum at a Hull swimming baths almost landed him in prison after he threw a phone and his shoes at his girlfriend.
Benjamin Taylor, 21, got so fed-up of his girlfriend being on her phone that he started flicking her in the face with a towel.
He then chucked his shoes and his phone over the cubicle, striking her on the top of the head, causing blood to drip onto the floor at the Beverley Road swimming baths.
Hull Crown Court heard that the couple had been in a relationship for around 18 months, starting when she was 15.
Everything was fine at first but after a couple of months things went downhill as Taylor became more abusive towards his girlfriend.
Towards the end of the relationship, the couple went to the swimming baths in Beverley Road in February 2019, taking Taylor’s young cousins with them.
However, she lost her enthusiasm to swim and as she was getting ready Taylor popped his head over the cubicle.
“He noticed she was on her phone and asked her what she was doing, accusing her of texting another boy,” said Mr Robinson.
“He took his towel and started flicking it at her face from over the top of the cubicle. She took the towel off him.
“The defendant told her that she deserved everything she got and that he enjoyed seeing her upset.
“He picked up his shoe and threw it over the cubicle, which struck her on the right side of her face.
“He threw his phone, which hit her on the top of her head.”
After being struck on the head by the phone, Taylor’s girlfriend stepped out of the cubicle and realised she was bleeding at the top of her head, which started to drip on to the floor.
As she tried to leave the swimming baths Taylor collapsed to the floor pleading with his girlfriend to not leave him and he apologised.
He also begged her to not report him to the police, but he was interviewed by officers about the incident in May 2019.
In a statement, the victim described the relationship with Taylor as “toxic and unhealthy” and that it “changed her as a person”.
“My mental health has become really low since my relationship with Ben,” she said. “I’m selfharming and have lost weight.”
The court heard that the victim went from a size ten to a size four.
“I have flashbacks all the time to the things he has done to me. This has affected me for so long and I do not know how I can move on with my life.
“I’m worried to see him in the street and worried what he might do in the future.”
Mr Robinson told the court that the effects of the relationship were so severe for the victim that she pulled out of her course at college.
Although her time with Taylor affected her self-confidence and trust in people she has since began another relationship which “took time to feel comfortable”.
Mitigating barrister Dale Brook said his client has accepted that his “inexcusable” behaviour could not continue in the future.
“He is still a young man,” said Mr Brook. “The facts of the case speak of a significant amount of immaturity, of lacking life skills, and lacking generosity in this relationship.
“They were both young. They both had some problems.”
Mr Brook told the court that his client suffered from cancer at the age of ten and had been in remission for four years.
“As well as the physical scars of that it has left a significant mental scar where he has suffered from depression, anxiety, and he has a great worry that it will come back and his life will be plighted by it.
“Those issues play, in my submission, into the toxic nature of this relationship and his neediness.
“It doesn’t excuse his behaviour. That is inexcusable. But the report is very clear that he is a very low risk of reconviction.
“This case has been illuminating to him, forcing him to grow up.
“It has put a mirror up to his face to let him see the behaviour that he has been accused of. It can’t be accepted and continue into the future.”
Addressing Taylor in the dock, Judge Tremberg said the victim had been “emotionally smothered” by his “needy” behaviour.
He said: “It may well be there was an emotional immaturity on both your parts but the result was she felt emotionally smothered and deeply unhappy by your needy, attention-seeking behaviour.
“The court looks for patterns of behaviour and you must understand that your relationship with the complainant was, in some aspects, abusive, and it is imperative that you recognise that and you change. If you don’t then an immediate custodial sentence will be the next step.”
Judge Tremberg sentenced Taylor to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.
He must also attend the Building Better Relationships course and complete ten days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
Taylor will also pay £600 of legal costs at a rate of £50 per month.
Your relationship with the complainant was, in some aspects, abusive, and it is imperative that you recognise that and you change
Judge Tremberg