A bullying man who inflicted a seven-year reign of terror on his partner has been locked up for more than two years.

Keith Fleetham subjected his partner to vile abuse, threats and violence, throughout their relationship.

His threatening presence was so severe that his partner’s child wet themselves because they were too frightened to leave a room to go to the toilet, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Philip Morley, prosecuting, said Fleetham’s relationship came to an end in January this year when his partner left him and reported his bullying behaviour to the police.

The court how Fleetham had pinned the woman to the wall with his hands around her throat during one argument and he demanded that she tell him her pin number for her bank card.

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Mr Morley said: “This would often occur while he was in drink; he would threaten her and throw things around the house and behave in an unpredictable way, call her derogatory names and abuse her.”

The victim said Fleetham’s behaviour left her fearful after he sucked on her nose causing significant pain, hit her with a pole, pushing her around and pinning her to the wall.

Mr Morley said the two charges of assault related to an incident on November 13, 2021, when his wife was a friend’s house for a birthday party.

The Northern Echo:

The 51-year-old pushed his wife’s friend over and she was knocked unconscious after hitting her head on a concrete slab, the court heard.

The defendant then grabbed some keys from his wife’s hand which resulted in her fingernail being ripped off.

Fleetham, of Whin Meadows, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of assault.

Zahra Baqri, in mitigation, said her client was full of remorse for his behaviour and had stopped drinking alcohol in a bid to turn his life around.

She added: “He has no excuse for his behaviour, he pleaded guilty in January and he has expressed an absolute disgust in himself. He is deeply remorseful of his actions and accepts his disgraceful behaviour happened when he was in drink.”

Recorder Aisha Wadoodi sentenced Fleetham to a total of 25 months in custody for his seven-year campaign of abuse.

She said: “You accept that you called your wife abusive names – ‘a fat lazy *** and b******’ and you accept you called her abusive names in front of the children.”

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