A PENRITH man who controlled his partner so much that he told her what to wear and even what to watch on TV has been jailed.

Kyle Pelham, 23, repeatedly subjected his traumatised partner to violence, on one occasion attacking her in his car because he had seen her talking innocently to a man in a Carlisle supermarket, the city’s crown court was told.

The defendant, of Raiselands Croft, Penrith, admitted three common assaults and using controlling and coercive behaviour over a year-long period.

He was jailed for 22 months.

Brendan Burke, prosecuting, said the victim and Pelham started a relationship in September of last year.

“The whole relationship was characterised by [his] control, jealousy and narcissism,” said the barrister

“He would demean and degrade the victim.”

As well as using violence, Pelham verbally abused the woman, saying things such as: “Why would anybody want you? I don’t.”

“He’d even seek to control what she wore,” continued Mr Burke.

Pelham had a “morbid jealousy” about her previous partners, and controlled every aspect of the woman’s life, including her money, her contact with family and friends, and her access to a mobile phone.

It was all part of a “classic pattern of isolation", said Mr Burke.

He said: “The control even extended to instructions on what she could not watch on the television; one of his bugbears was Love Island and she was instructed not to watch that.”

Two of Pelham’s three assaults happened after the couple visited supermarkets.

On one of those occasions, after he saw her talking to a man, he ordered her to crouch down in the car’s footwell.

“He punched her repeatedly to the side of the head,” said Mr Burke. At other times, he grabbed her throat on the bed, leaving her unable to breathe.

Anthony Parkinson, for Pelham, said he now understood the impact of his behaviour on his victim. The barrister said that Pelham had been immature and suffered insecurities and had been coping with the death in December last year of his stepfather.

“He has a complete lack of trust in relation to his partners, but he has expressed genuine remorse,” added Mr Parkinson.

Recorder Eric Lamb noted it had been Pelham’s first "proper relationship" and that he had shown remorse but the judge added: “You were throughout demeaning and degrading towards her.”

As well as the jail term, he imposed a ten-year restraining order forbidding any contact with the victim.

Pelham's now former partner was so traumatised she can no longer go to certain places that remind her of the defendant. Part of the restraining order bars Pelham from much of Appleby.