A MAN’S controlling behaviour on his ex-partner went to the extent of burning her, holding a knife to her throat and depriving her of sleep.

Harrison Scriven, 22, was jailed at Cardiff Crown Court for over three years for what Judge Recorder Celia Hughes described as appalling behaviour to someone Scriven should have loved, but instead “degraded”.

The victim, who we have decided not to name, described how she no longer recognised herself and will not be able to lead the life she wanted because of the abuse Scriven reigned down on her.

The height of the abuse was a disgusting incident, when, to degrade his victim, Scriven made her change her sanitary towel in front of him.

Scriven and his victim met at work in January 2022 and despite the relationship starting well, it quickly turned ugly.

In March, Scriven found a Snapchat message on his victim’s phone and flew into a rage, resulting in a four-hour argument.

One week later things got much more serious for his victim, when, walking back from the pub with Scriven, they started arguing and Scriven kicked a bag of glass bottles his victim was carrying, smashing them in her hand and kicking her in the shin. Later that evening he would burn her legs with cigarette butts and refuse to let her sleep.

As time went on, Scriven would not let his victim see friends or family without him in case she spoke of the abuse she was suffering.

In September, an argument led to Scriven holding a Stanley knife to his victim's throat – from there she ended the relationship, but the ordeal was not over.

In summer 2022, Scriven met his victim for a drink, saw a message on her phone and got so angry he smashed a bottle of vodka and held it to her throat.

There were multiple messages between the pair which culminated in December 2022, with Scriven sending his victim a string of abusive texts including telling her to kill herself, hoping she would get cancer, threatening to throw her in a river and telling her he would break the neck of her nephews.

In April 2023, Scriven saw his victim in a friend’s car, jumped in front of it and approached her.

In September, after attending a music event in Cardiff, his victim and her friend agreed to go to Scriven’s for a drink.

The evening turned nasty with Scriven angry that at 2am his victim wanted to go to bed. He attacked her before pushing her friend.

Impact statements were read out for both victims.

In heartbreaking testimony, Scriven's victim said: “I do not know who I am anymore. I feel lost and do not recognise myself.

“I will never be able to live my life the way I want because of the fear he (Scriven) has caused.”

The victim's companion said that after the incident in September she could not leave her mother’s side and had days she would not eat and could not stop crying.

In mitigation, it was said Scriven had had a tough upbringing and felt he became secondary in the family to his father who became ill.

Scriven, of Cwrt Bracty, Abertillery, was sentenced on three charges. One of committing coercive behaviour and one of ABH and assault by beating - both committed on September 9, all of which he pleaded guilty to at Cardiff Crown court on October 10.

He was sentenced to three years, nine weeks in prison and placed under two restraining orders to each of his victims, both five years long.