A TEENAGER has been locked up for three years for a catalogue of violence against his former partner.

Kye Botting, 19, throttled her with a dog lead, wounded her with a Rambo-style knife, punched, kicked and slapped her during their ‘toxic car crash’ of a relationship, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Botting, whose address was given as HMP Doncaster, lied to the older woman saying he was 19 when he was still a youth when they got together, Christopher Moran, prosecuting, said.

He was initially caring and attentive but things went badly wrong. He was verbally and physically abusive and threatened her with a small knife at her throat.

Mr Moran said that when the couple lived together in central Bradford, Botting would lose his temper and punch, slap and torment her.

They moved home but the abuse continued. He was nasty and vindictive and continued to assault her, hitting her on the head with a picture frame, threatening her with a screwdriver and attempting to throttle her.

They moved to a succession of addresses in Blackpool where the violence continued. Botting punched, kicked and stamped on her, pulled a dog lead tightly round her neck and held her head under water.

She came back to Bradford and took out a non-molestation order but he found out where she lived and went round to intimidate her. He threatened to kill her if he got locked up and threw keys at her cutting her lip.

When the police went to her home, they saw she had facial injuries and her property was damaged.

When Botting was arrested, he refused to answer questions. He was remanded into custody but still managed to send her two letters entreating her to phone him.

He pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, unlawful wounding, intentional strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and three breaches of the non-molestation order.

The court heard that the woman now had nightmares. She was anxious and vulnerable and the pain and fear had continued after Botting was locked up. She had difficulty walking because of her injuries, suffered regular headaches and could no longer work, although she had been ambitious.

Vincent Blake-Barnard said in mitigation said there was ‘a massive age gap’ between Botting and his victim. He was a youth and ill-equipped to deal with the ‘toxic car crash’ that the relationship became.

Recorder Tahir Khan KC said there was violence, strangulation and assault over a significant period of time.

Botting was still very young but only an immediate sentence of custody was appropriate for the ‘catalogue of violence.’ He was sentenced to a total of three years custody in a young offender institution.

An indefinite restraining order bans him from having any contact with the woman.