His girlfriend originally thought he was ‘the man she had been searching for’ but he later subjected her to years of trauma including giving her black eyes and threatening to strangle her to death
Jamie Smith has been jailed(Image: Humberside Police)
A violent and “horrible” bully seemed at first like “the perfect man” – but he later made his girlfriend’s “life a misery” during years of aggressive behaviour, including strangling her, putting a knife and a screwdriver to her throat and leaving her with black eyes. Jamie Smith turned even more nasty after they split up and he warned her: “The next time I see you, I’m going to strangle you to death. I’m going to kill you. I’m really going to kill you.” She originally thought that he was “the man she had been searching for” but he angrily threatened to set her house on fire and later trashed her home, Hull Crown Court heard.
Smith, 25, of Brevere Road, Hedon, but recently in custody on remand, admitted controlling and coercive behaviour between January 1, 2018 and January 5 this year. He also admitted making threats to kill her and burglary with intent to cause damage on January 4 this year.
Corey Boothe, prosecuting, said that Smith and the woman were in a relationship for about eight years. The first month was said by the woman to have been “perfect” and, in the early years, they moved to Spain.
There were arguments, however, and during one of them, Smith grabbed her by her throat and pushed her into a wall. This was the “catalyst” for them leaving Spain and returning to England.
During one incident, he picked her off the floor and threw her into a door frame. She was also pushed downstairs and her head was shoved into concrete walls.
Smith also put a knife to her throat during an argument and, on a later occasion, he did the same thing with a screwdriver. In January 2021, he dragged her from a sofa by her legs and she fell heavily onto the concrete floor, hitting her head forcefully and causing a seizure. An ambulance was called.
Smith strangled his girlfriend three or four times during arguments, putting both hands around her neck and pressing her against a wall. There were more arguments later and, at Christmas 2022, he punched her in her face.
In 2023, he threw her around the kitchen. On another occasion, they were in a car when he grabbed her seat belt during an argument and pinned her to the back of the seat.
The argument continued at her home. “The argument was so loud that a neighbour came round to check that everything was okay,” said Mr Boothe.
During last year, the relationship deteriorated again and Smith became violent. “The police were called out to discover the victim had a black eye from being punched three times to the face,” said Mr Boothe.
The relationship ended but, on January 4 this year, Smith warned the woman: “The next time I see you, I’m going to strangle you to death. I’m going to kill you. I’m really going to kill you.” He told her mother: “When she does get home, your daughter is dead.”
Smith sent text messages threatening to set the woman’s house on fire. “He used a key to enter the property without permission,” said Mr Boothe. Smith took out his anger by breaking items throughout the house.
“The defendant has clearly gone from room to room, including putting holes in walls,” said Mr Boothe. The woman later said that she originally thought that Smith was “the perfect man and the man she had been searching for” but this did not turn out to be the case.
She had suffered mental scars and anxiety. Smith had previous convictions for assault and a public disorder matter in 2024 and for assaulting police, involving a headbutt, last year.
Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that father-of-two Smith had shown remorse and he had described himself as a “horrible person” for what he had done. He realised that the woman deserved much better.
“He knows this is serious,” said Mr Shipley. “He has shown insight into the impact this will have had. It was an eight-year relationship that was characterised by his immense emotional dependency on her.”
Judge John Thackray KC told Smith: “It was a catalogue of abuse over an eight-year period. You made your partner’s life a misery. The offence of controlling or coercive behaviour doesn’t get more serious than this.
“You held a knife to her throat. She must have been terrified. You were violent towards her. You gave her black eyes. You threatened to strangle her to death.
“She will never, I have no doubt, fully recover psychologically from the effects of your abuse. She will never have the same trust in anyone.”
Smith was jailed for three years and nine months. He was given an indefinite restraining order.
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