AN abusive boyfriend who threatened to send his partner’s dad a video of them having sex has walked free from court.

Jamie Gallagher, from Woolston, subjected his girlfriend to a year-long campaign of harassment – even throwing her belongings onto a train track after their relationship broke down.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Tuesday, that the pair first met online in April 2020.

A ‘toxic’ and ‘on and off relationship’ followed, the couple having ‘split up and reconciled three or four times’ between then and May the following year.

Gallagher was ‘verbally abusive and threatening’ throughout this time, calling his partner a ‘slag’ and ‘challenging her’ over her whereabouts and who she was spending time with.

The 19-year-old ‘sought to control her movements, friendships and contact with her family’.

He ‘tried to drive a wedge between her and her mother’, who did not approve of the relationship.

Gallagher – of Gig Lane – edited her social media accounts, modified the details of contacts in her phone and followed her on several occasions.

One such incident saw the teenager tail her to a pub and ‘stare at her’ for 15 minutes while she socialised with friends before being removed from the premises by staff.

He also threatened to reveal a video showing a sex act between the two to her father, leaving her ‘ashamed, embarrassed and concerned’.

She was ‘often reduced to tears’ as a result of his behaviour, which Gallagher responded to by ‘asking her why the f*** she was crying’ and adding: “You deserve everything I’m doing to you.”

In September 2020, the defendant contacted her stating he had a necklace of hers which he wanted to return.

The pair met in Greystone Recreation Ground in Penketh, but the teen snatched her mobile phone and started filming her with it as he said: “You’re a f***ing slag.”

She ran off and Gallagher posted the clip to her Snapchat story before jumping up and down on the phone and breaking it in half.

On another occasion in May 2021, he showed her a video of him throwing her possession including clothes onto train tracks before again seizing her mobile phone – a replacement which his mum had paid for – and smashing it.

Defence barrister Betsy Hindle told the court: “There is more to this case than first appears to meet the eye.

“The biggest factor was the new obsession the court is seeing more and more with social media, constantly comparing and causing jealously and other problems.

“He’s not had many relationships before and didn’t know how to deal with the situation.

“If given help and assistance now, this behaviour can hopefully be stopped in its tracks.”

Gallagher, who has no previous convictions, admitted harassment and two counts of criminal damage during an earlier hearing.

He was handed a 12-week imprisonment suspended for two years.

Sentencing, judge Louise Brandon said: “She would be reduced to tears by your behaviour.

“You caused her to withdraw from her friends and family, and she was made to feel shame and embarrassment.

“Her personality changed – she went from being a bubbly and outgoing character to someone who her friends didn’t recognise any more. She became quiet and withdrawn.

“Your behaviour persisted over a prolonged period.

“I’m satisfied that very serious distress was caused by your behaviour.

“You have sought to minimise your behaviour, demonstrating that you are an immature, jealous and angry young man who gave very little thought to what you were doing. But you have expressed willingness to work to address the problems you have.

“Taking into account all the mitigation available, in particular your lack of previous convictions, leads me to the conclusion that there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and appropriate punishment can be achieved by an order which will allow you to address your behaviour and protect the public.

“If you and I meet again then you need to work on the basis that you will be going into custody at that stage.”

Gallagher was also handed 100 hours of unpaid work, a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim, entering her street or mentioning her on social media for the next 10 years.

He was told to pay court costs of £420, £400 in compensation and a victim surcharge.