A CARLISLE woman was so afraid of her violent boyfriend that she jumped into a river to escape him, a court heard.

After hearing about the terrifying two-hour incident on March 23 and another occasion when 20-year-old Ben Hull strangled his girlfriend to the point where she passed out, a judge locked him up for just over three years.

Hull, of Partridge Place, Carlisle, had earlier pleaded guilty to an assault causing actual bodily harm and harassing the same woman, putting her in fear of violence. He did this between February 1 and March 24.

Anna Bond, prosecuting, said the defendant was in a relationship with the woman for nine months and during that time he threatened her with violence, damaged her property and assaulted her.

Describing one of those incidents, the barrister said Hull accused the woman of being unfaithful and so she asked him to leave her house. 

As she stood on the stairs, trying to push him away from her, he grabbed her by the neck with both hands. “He continued to strangle her with full force,” said Miss Bond. “She lost consciousness.

“She mentions waking up with him standing over her and beginning to apologise.” The court was told also of other occasions when Hull was violent, including on March 9 when the woman was woken by the sound her dog growling.

She opened her front door and was confronted by Hull, standing on the driveway and she asked him to leave. The following morning, said Miss Bond, Hull was at the house and refusing to leave.

He punched the woman three times in the face and friends pulled him away from her. After this, she continued to get calls from him as he tried to apologise but he also threatened to kill himself but not before making a video in which he would tell everybody it was her fault, said Miss Bond.

Outlining the assault, the barrister said Hull called the woman asking if he could take her dog for a walk. She agreed. But again he accused her of being unfaithful and turned violent, repeatedly punching her.

He said he would kill her.

Attempting to escape from him, she jumped into a river but he tried to go after her. “He grabbed hold of the dog and said he would kill her if the victim didn’t get out of the water,” said Miss Bond.

The incident lasted for two hours. “She was terrified for her life and so jumped into the water,” continued the barrister.

Timothy Ashmole, defending, said the defendant still had the support of his mother and had been remanded in custody for the last five months.  “He wishes to apologise to the victim,” said the barrister.

“They were having a relationship which went badly wrong.”

Recorder Kate Bex QC sent Hull to a young offenders’ institution for 37 months. He must pay a £190 victim surcharge. The judge imposed a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim for seven years.