Sheffield thug is jailed after subjecting his ex-partner to physical and mental abuse

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 1 how jealous Scott Shooter, aged 24, of Lowedges Road, in Lowedges, Sheffield, threatened to rape his ex-partner, terrified her with a blow torch and smothered her with a pillow during a series of dreadful episodes.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told Shooter: “Your conduct was persistent and prolonged and you employed multiple methods to coerce and control your partner and there were many aspects of these where you designed to degrade that young woman.”

Prosecuting barrister James Baird said Shooter repeatedly assaulted and abused the complainant and checked her movements, calls and social media during their relationship between 2018 and 2021.

Mr Baird added the complainant had been grabbed by the hair and pulled, accused of cheating, was insulted, had her phone broken and on one occasion Shooter threatened to kill her dog.

The complainant also stated she was grabbed by the ankle during one incident in 2019 and dragged downstairs before he struck her leg with a brush, according to Mr Baird.

Mr Baird said on another occasion Shooter poured milk over her head and another time he pinned her down in the bedroom and put his hands around her neck and said he would rape her and he pulled her joggers down until he was told to stop, which he did.

Other incidents included pushing her into a doorway and biting her cheek, punching her, and pushing her face into an ashtray, according to Mr Baird.

Mr Baird said that Shooter threatened the complainant with a blow torch and told her he was going to “melt her face” as he chased her.

During another attack, Shooter pinned her down and put his hands inside her mouth and a pillow over her head, and another time he shouted abuse and had a knife, which he did not use, according to Mr Baird.

At the end of their relationship, Shooter taunted her by sending pictures of her belongings and claimed he had sold naked pictures of the complainant for £2,000.

Shooter, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to using coercive and controlling behaviour.

The complainant said Shooter has taken the last few years of her life from her and she wants him to get help because she does not want this to happen to someone else.

She added: “I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I take medication for it. I take medication and it makes me feel like I am not really here and I cannot sleep in a bed with pillows because he tried to suffocate me with pillows.”

Zaiban Alam, defending, said Shooter was not well and he is not an “intrinsically bad person”.

She added Shooter had a traumatic childhood and he has been diagnosed with ADHD, depression a personality disorder.

Ms Alam said: “What he has done is unforgivable and he feels the shame as he should and that is the cross he bears.”

Judge Richardson told Shooter: “You assaulted the victim regularly. You emotionally manipulated her in a variety of ways. You regularly checked up on her in a jealous fashion.”

He sentenced Shooter to 18 months of custody and made him subject to a 10-year restraining order.