Man, 50, who pressured canine poo into girlfriend’s mouth in relationship hell jailed
Steven Farrell was jailed after a horrific campaign of abuse that left his victim ‘covered in bruises’ and suffering with PTSD.
Steven Farrell tormented his then-partner throughout their relationship(Image: Facebook)
A brute who held a blade to his girlfriend’s throat and forced dog poo into her mouth has been jailed for his sickening abuse. Steven Farrell also placed a plastic bag over the petrified woman’s head and threatened her. During the abuse the man stated: “I’ll kill you next time.”
Farrell, 50, has now been imprisoned for the campaign of horrific physical and emotional abuse which has left the vulnerable woman suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He tormented his then-partner throughout their relationship, which commenced shortly after he was freed from prison in October 2024.
Farrell, from east Manchester, would consume cocaine most days and relocated to the woman’s home in Rossendale, east Lancashire, within a few months of meeting her, Preston Crown Court heard. Farrell was “pathologically jealous” and insisted on escorting his girlfriend to and from work, prosecutors said.
He routinely destroyed her phone and confiscated it while in the house, but would use it to respond to messages from her friends who were concerned about her, reports the Manchester Evening News. He also physically assaulted her, and would silence her to prevent her from screaming, the court heard.
On April 25, the woman refused to go clothes shopping with Farrell. He went out to buy cocaine and returned a short time later and accused her of cheating on him. He put a plastic bag over her head and told her: “I’ll kill you next time.”
Half an hour later he began strangling her dog with its lead, the court heard. The woman went to bed but at 1am the following morning, Farrell dragged her out of bed and struck her with a hairdryer, injuring her head. She threw him out but he returned at 6am and let himself in with a spare key.
Later that day, a neighbour heard screaming and called the police, but Farrell warned her “you’d better say nowt” and she told officers they had just had a verbal disagreement.
The next day, Farrell rang the woman’s work and told her employer she had overslept – however the court heard he had deliberately turned her alarm off. At home, he held a knife to her throat and forced a dog bag into her mouth, which split causing faeces to go into her mouth.
He assaulted her, causing bruising to her legs, breasts and arm. Later, her friend arrived and called the police. The victim has stated: “This will have an emotional impact for the rest of my life”.
When officers arrived at the house, the victim was sitting on the sofa, looking “exhausted”. When they asked what had happened, she said: “Just arguments.”
Her mate signalled to the officers that Farrell remained at the property, and he was nicked while attempting to escape through the back garden. He told officers: “I’ve not done anything like that. She’s making it up.” Nevertheless, Farrell, from Openshaw, subsequently admitted to controlling and coercive behaviour, suffocation and assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH).
In a victim impact statement, the woman revealed she was left “covered in bruises” and feared for her life when Farrell placed the bag over her head. She believed he was going to murder her, the court was told.
“This will have an emotional impact for the rest of my life,” she stated. She now battles PTSD and struggles with sleep as she awakens with flashbacks and recollections of her ordeal.
Delivering the sentence, the judge, Recorder Michelle Brown, declared: “Your offending was designed to belittle and humiliate her, and instil fear. The ABH was prolonged. You used a knife to threaten her, punched and kicked her and attempted to force faeces down her throat.”
She described Farrell as a dangerous offender and jailed him for three years and five months, with a year’s extended licence period to safeguard the public.
