He also supposedly put an Alexa device in her living room to monitor her conversations
A controlling bully made his girlfriend’s life a “misery” during a two-year “campaign of domestic abuse” involving a series of determined attempts to “humiliate and degrade” her. Obsessed and aggressive Andrew Robson installed cameras to “monitor her comings and goings” and he also became violent towards the “terrified” woman.
He taunted her by telling her that if he killed her, he would know how to bury her so that she would not be found, Hull Crown Court heard. Robson, 37, of Rutherglen Drive, off Holderness Drive, east Hull, admitted using controlling and coercive behaviour between March 4, 2023 and April 11 this year.
He also admitted two offences of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm. He pleaded guilty on the day of a scheduled trial.
Gabrielle Coates, prosecuting, said that Robson and the woman were in a relationship for about three years. “The relationship was initially happy but, sadly, it didn’t last for long,” said Miss Coates. “He began to become jealous and possessive.”
Robson started treating the woman differently when they went to a rugby match and he saw her ex-boyfriend. He told her: “Why don’t you go and see him?” His behaviour became more controlling and he monitored her mobile phone.
He changed her passwords and held the phone above his head so that she could not reach it. They never actually lived together but Robson installed a doorbell camera at her home to “monitor her comings and goings”.
He told her that he had installed five cameras at her home – but he did not say where they were. He sent text messages asking “Where are you going?” after monitoring the camera pictures.
There were apparently cameras in the back garden pointing directly at her back door and he supposedly put an Alexa device in her living room to monitor her conversations. He examined the timings on receipts if she had been to more than one place. “If she did not respond to his messages, she would draw his displeasure,” said Miss Coates.
If she was on TikTok, he sent a message saying: “I can see you are on TikTok. Why are you not messaging me?”
The woman had previously worn makeup and had her nails done but, during the relationship, Robson would challenge her about this. He asked her: “What are you wearing that for? Who are you trying to impress?”
He sometimes became violent, including when he took hold of her arm, dug his nails into her neck, bit her cheek and forced his thumb into her eye. On another occasion, he lifted her leather jacket and threw her to the ground, damaging the jacket and causing injuries.
Robson told her that, if he killed her, he would know how to bury her so that she would not be found. He was later arrested but denied the offences.
“It was persistent action over a long period of time,” said Miss Coates. “The defendant used multiple methods over a long period. It was conduct intended to humiliate and degrade the victim. It caused fear of violence on many occasions.
“It has had a substantial adverse effect on the victim. She was isolated by his behaviour and was made to feel that she was being watched at all times.”
The woman later said that Robson made her feel “belittled, worthless and useless” and she lost all confidence. “He made me feel like it didn’t matter whether I lived or died,” she said.
She would cry herself to sleep after listening to his “torments” of her. “I began to feel numb to all his abuse,” she said. “I accepted this was my life now. It wasn’t going to change.
“My heart races and I hate it. I don’t feel like I can move on from this easily. My anxiety is awful. Sleep is affected.
“My eating is affected. I feel like I will always be his victim. This is constantly there in the back of my mind.”
Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said that the relationship was fraught with difficulties from the start. “This was appalling offending,” said Miss Kioko-Gilligan. “He wholeheartedly accepts his offending.
“It was prolonged. He accepts that this relationship is over. He has become alcohol dependent and that has become a significant issue in his life. He knows that he needs to address that.”
Robson was initially remanded in custody but he was later given bail with a curfew on May 19. He lost his job while in custody but hoped to regain employment. He had a 17-year-old son from a previous relationship.
Judge John Thackray KC told Robson: “This was a campaign of domestic abuse over a two-year period. Your victim was entitled to feel safe and secure in your company. You were jealous and possessive.
“You monitored her mobile phone. You monitored her movements. You were violent on numerous occasions. You made a threat to kill. You made her life a misery for that two-year period.
“Your offending had a profound effect upon your victim. It’s true to say that she will never fully recover from the effects of your offending. Only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence.”
Robson, who had been on bail, was jailed for two years and three months. He was given a 10-year restraining order.