A jealous partner took control of his girlfriend’s phone for days at a time and made chilling threats to “torch” property belonging to her mother and grandmother, a court has heard.
Kyle Pelham’s relationship with the teenager began after Snapchat contact. Over the course of a fortnight in May, 26-year-old Pelham and his new partner — now 18 — stayed at hotels and went out for meals before she moved in.
“Although things were normal to start off with,” prosecutor David Polglase told Carlisle Crown Court, his control and “perhaps” jealousy took over.
Pelham threw out some clothes, grabbed the teen’s face, pushed her on to a bed and, on more than one occasion, yanked her hair in anger.
During a two-month period, he made threats to torch her mother’s and grandmother’s property and took control of her phone. “She describes the defendant taking her phone off her for whole days at a time,” said Mr Polglase.
Sentimental photographs were deleted, as were contact details; her actual phone number was changed twice; and Pelham also sent unpleasant texts to her friends and family, pretending to be her.
Mr Polgase said: “She described that having an adverse impact, not just on her emotional well-being and mental health but her day-to-day activities; being encouraged not to have contact with those she had contact with previously and prevented from going to work.”
In an impact statement after Pelham’s criminal conduct came to light, she spoke of spending many months rebuilding relationships with loved ones.
“She said she wasn’t allowed to go to a particular funeral,” said Mr Polglase. “She said she wasn’t allowed to see her dad because the defendant saw days as ‘our days’, referring to the relationship.”
When quizzed by police, Pelham claimed her complaints were untrue and even told officers he was the victim.
On the day he was due to stand trial in front of a jury, he admitted controlling or coercive behaviour.
The court heard that in October, 2020, Pelham, of Raiselands Croft, Penrith, was given a 22-month jail term for similar offending against another young woman. He had attacked his then pregnant partner, isolated her from friends and family, and even banned her from watching television show Love Island, as part of a campaign of control.
Mitigating in respect of the latest offending, barrister Tim Evans said Pelham accepted the criminal conduct.
“What he also accepts and knows, having been in custody (on remand) again for the equivalent of a nine-month sentence already, is that he has to resolve the issues that he has had or he will end up wasting much of his young life in Durham (prison) or wherever else he may be,” said Mr Evans.
Judge Michael Fanning imposed a seven and a half-month jail term.
“She was to be with you, spend time with you and no-one else — the definition of controlling behaviour,” said the judge. “You have got to learn.”
