During a toxic relationship, a bully, 26, made his teen girlfriend wear a dog collar around her neck.
Hull Crown Court was told that Toby Megson, who hails from Hull, England, choked his girlfriend, 19, with the collar and told her "that's where you belong, on a leash, because you're a dog.'" Jurors heard that the sadistic thug tightened the collar around her neck and she struggled to breathe, reported Daily Mail.
Megson also threatened to cut down her uncle's memorial tree, and pour boiling water or bleach over her. Apart from harassment, he admitted to breaching a non-molestation order and causing criminal damage, according to Nottinghamshire Live.
Prosecuting, Dale Brook said that the thug was in a relationship with the Hull woman for about eight months. They started arguing last Oct. 22. The woman believed that he had been smoking Spice, and he spat in her face and hair. The woman was staying at his house two days after the argument. When they woke up together, he told her that she was disgusting and she made him feel sick. He took her mobile phone and told her to get out. Megson called her a "slut" after accusing her of seeing other men.
On Oct. 25, he grabbed her by the throat and started to squeeze until she could not breathe. That left her crying on the bed. She asked for some of his drink, but he refused to give her any of it. Instead, he poured it onto the floor. Later, the woman locked him out of the premises. But he kicked the door open, and damaged the lock in the process.
He went to the woman's flat on Oct. 26 and again put the dog collar around her neck. It restricted her breathing. Brook said that she shouted for him to leave and "threw the dog collar at him." He added that Megson called her "a 'slag' and left."
The woman said in a statement that Megson has "completely turned my life upside down," and that he seems to have a "hold over me." The victim said that he seemed to be able to be "really nice to me," but then turned back to being "horrible and threatening."
Mitigating, Nigel Clive said that Megson, who had convictions for five previous offences, including two of possessing a knife, had shown a degree of remorse. According to Clive, now Megson had an understanding about the effect of his behavior on the victim. Megson had started drunken drug use that was "leading him vastly in the wrong direction."
He apologized for his actions and understood that his behavior was not acceptable. Clive said that Megson wishes to receive all the assistance that he can, and just "wants to get a job and settle down."
Mirror reported that he was given a five-year restraining order and was jailed for 18 months.
