Boyfriend left partner feeling her only way out was 'in a body bag'

Controlling boyfriend, 26, who beat his 18-year-old partner and threatened her with an acid attack and petrol bombing in campaign of abuse which left the victim feeling her only way out was ‘in a body bag’ is jailed for four years

• Abu Munahim threatened to kill Elouise McDermott and dump body on moorland
• He abused his girlfriend so badly she feared her ‘only way out was in a body bag’ 
• Munahim also threatened to throw acid at her face and petrol bomb her house
• Judge said he had ‘utter contempt’ for women and jailed Munahim for four years

A controlling boyfriend who beat his 18-year-old partner and threatened her with an acid attack and petrol bombing in a campaign of abuse which left her fearing her only was out was ‘in a body bag’ has been jailed. 

Abu Munahim, 26, threatened to strip and kill 18-year-old Elouise McDermott and dump her body on moorland across a year of control and abuse.

Ms McDermott said that she ‘felt like a prisoner’ but on reflection believed that prisoners get treated better than what she went through. 

Munahim, who called himself ‘Dipsy’ and once got an ASBO aged 15, even rammed his Vauxhall Astra into her car in a violent outburst. 

Controlling boyfriend Abu Munahim (pictured), 26, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after controlling, abusing and threatening to kill his 18-year-old girlfriend in a year-long campaign of abuse

Munahim threatened to strip and kill Elouise McDermott (pictured) and dump her body on moorland

At Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Munahim, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, showed no emotion as he admitted coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. 

Munahim was jailed for four-and-a-half years and banned from contacting Ms McDermott and her mother indefinitely under the terms of a restraining order. 

Despite police having already obtained a domestic violence protection order against Munahim previously, he continued to harass Ms McDermott and even threatened her mother. 

The horrifying abuse led Ms McDermott to booking herself into a hotel at one point because she did not want her mother to see her severe injuries, including black eyes and bruised ribs.

In a victim statement she said: ‘I was constantly dodging punches and could never see a way out unless it was in a body bag. 

‘I was expecting Dipsy to change and he would often say he would take me out to dinner, but change never came.

‘The relationship I had with my mum was at its worst throughout my relationship with Dipsy as he planted negative thoughts and lies about her in m head. 

‘I never felt like a human being around him. I felt like a prisoner but really I think prisoners get treated better than that.’

At Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Munahim (pictured) showed no emotion as he admitted coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm

Meanwhile Ms McDermott’s mother Donna told police: ‘I never had a good feeling about Dipsy. Their relationship made me feel constantly ill and it impacted all my other children as well. He would very rarely let her go home.

‘He offered us money not to go to court and give evidence but it was only after their relationship ended that I realised the magnitude of how bad the situation was.’

Munahim showed criminal tendencies from a young age even receiving an ASBO  in 2011 after officers claimed he was bringing ‘misery’ to the Oldham town centre. 

The order did now, however, prevent him from committing 76 offences, including for biting his sister and harassing an ex-girlfriend.

The court heard that Ms McDermott, a mother-of-one, was 17 when she met Munahim in May 2021 – and had just escaped another abusive relationship.

Prosecutor Anna Bond told the court about a time that the pair were out having drinks with friends but while they were walking home, he started hitting her in the ribs over something she apparently said earlier.

‘He continued to punch her in the face and the ribs and she collapsed onto the pavement, screaming for him to stop,’ Ms Bond added. 

‘When she was lying on the pavement, he bit her cheek and told her he was going to kill her.

‘Whenever she tried to get up he would punch her back down to the ground, at one point she fell back and hit her head on the pavement which left a bloody cut. Whenever she ran away he would drag her back to the bushes.’

Ms McDermott (pictured) said that she ‘felt like a prisoner’ but on reflection believed that prisoners get treated better than what she went through

Ms Bond told the court that she managed to escape her abuser and hailed down a lorry driver but before she could get in the vehicle, she was dragged back into the bushes before the driver alerted the police. 

‘On another occasion, the defendant would issue threats to the complainant after an argument, the most shocking being when he said he would ‘take her to the Moors, strip her naked and leave her body there’,’ Ms Bond added.

Ms Bond told the court how he would ‘dictate what she could or could not eat’ and prohibited her from wearing anything short. The court heard how he stole and broke her phone as a way of ‘exerting control over her’. 

The prosecutor added: ‘On another occasion, she was so scared of the defendant that she ran to a friend’s house. The defendant followed her and barged into the house brandishing a knife. He then threatened to kill her and himself.

‘On her 18th birthday, the complainant went for a night out in Oldham with her mother and friends. But while she was out the defendant tried to call and text throughout the night. 

‘When she got home she saw the defendant waiting in his car outside her house. In an attempt to prevent her from leaving, he rammed his car into hers in the driveway and pretended to run her and her mother down.

‘On another occasion, when both of them were in the car the defendant strangled the complainant. The strangulation was such that the complainant momentarily passed out.’

Minshull Street Crown Court (pictured) heard how Munahim would ‘dictate what she could or could not eat’ and prohibited her from wearing anything short

‘She later booked herself into a local hotel because she couldn’t bear for her mother to see the black eye and bruised ribs she got from the defendant.

‘But while she stayed at the hotel the defendant continued to threaten her, saying he would ‘petrol bomb her house’ and ‘throw acid in her face.’

‘When the complainant was on a phone call to a friend, the defendant hit her square in the face in front of others. The defendant received seven weeks in prison for this offence but as soon as he got to prison he called the complainant and said ‘watch what happens now.’

‘He was issued with a domestic violence protection order in August 2021 but despite this, his abuse continued. He called her from prison and told her to not allow her mother, to make a statement about him to the police. He would continue to call up and threaten the complainant throughout his time in prison and get her to contact people for him’

‘Later the defendant was released with a non-contact order against the complainant and her mother but in February this, the complainant was woken up by a commotion outside. She saw the defendant shouting at her in her garden and he was throwing ornaments at her window.

‘The last incident occurred when the complaint was out walking with her child in a pushchair with her friend. The defendant drove up to the pair and shouted at the complainant to get in. She refused but then the defendant threatened them, saying that he was going to ‘bonnet’ them and the baby. The complainant got in the car and was seen to be crying as they drove away.’

Defending Munahim, Ms Milena Bennett said: ‘His attitude stems from his childhood, as he grew up with a lot of domestic abuse in the family. He has never been shown the right way to hold down a relationship between himself and a woman.

‘He has a serious lack of understanding. This was informed by his father’s abuse against his mother and other family members. He has an attitude that if someone hits him he will just hit them back.’

While sentencing, judge Abigail Hudson told Munahim: ‘You sought to control Miss Dermot for outset. Coming from a previous abusive relationship and with a young child she was clearly a very vulnerable person.

‘You wanted to influence her life in various ways by saying things like ‘if you loved me you would do this, if you respected me you would do that’ This was all done because of your pathetic need to control somebody else. Most of the abuse happened in public and even from prison you were tormenting her.’

‘You have utter contempt for women, no doubt learnt from your father and you are simply unable to acknowledge women as members of society. It is clear you even hold these proceedings with contempt and do not look sorry in the slightest.

‘Unfortunately for you, this will mean a lifetime of isolation unless you change your ways. You present a very high risk of harm to other women.’

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