'He will kill me when released': Leeds woman's fear over violent ex's intentions when freed from prison

Dangerous Ryan Haigh was locked up this week for a “catalogue of offences” against the woman, in which he attacked her, controlled her and threatened to kill her if she didn’t drop the charges.

Having been in the relationship with the woman for two years, he would become excessively jealous if she spoke to other men, decided who she could see and would often lose his temper, punching, kicking and spitting in her face. He would then threaten to kill himself if she tried to end the relationship.

However, the 23-year-old would terrify the woman by boasting that he used to have a gun and would say he would get his Albanian friends to shoot her and members of her family, including her four-year-old niece.

Bravely reading out her impact statement to Leeds Crown Court, she said: “The past two years have absolutely broken me. Ryan has completely stripped me from who I am, I need to take medication to get through the day.

"He would always say he had access to firearms and would shoot me. I really did not think I would be able to escape this relationship. I thought there was only one way out.

"I do believe he will kill me when he gets out. I’m really frightened and I know what he is capable of.”

Prosecutor Felicity Hemlin said that Haigh, of Swarcliffe Drive, Swarcliffe, had attacked the woman in April, punching her in the face and ripping off her eyelashes.

Then 10 days later, and following an argument about a male friend she had on Facebook, he broke into a house where she was staying to attack her as she slept, punching her in the face while verbally abusing her. He then took her iPhone and left.

He later made several calls threatening to harm her and her family if she pursued with police action.

In May he barged into her home and assaulted her by hitting her to the face. He left, but then called the woman after the police had arrived.

He was heard and recorded on an officer’s body-worn camera threatening the woman saying: “If you do not drop the charges, see what’s going to happen to you.”

Held on remand at HMP Leeds, Haigh admitted making threats to kill, coercive control, intimidation of witnesses, two assaults and theft of the mobile phone.

Mitigating, Eleanor Mitten said Haigh “now fully accepted” that the relationship was over. She said: “His view is that he has matured and is motivated going forward to keep himself out of prison. He has expressed remorse and regret.”

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar deemed Haigh to be dangerous and said: “You are someone who was very possessive and jealous right from the outset. You were controlling of her and this was a catalogue of offending.”

He handed him an extended five-year jail term, made up of four years’ imprisonment, with a one-year extended licence period. He was also given a 10-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim and her family.