Dad who sold 'all night power lemo' choked his girlfriend

An abusive boyfriend was caught selling "all night power lemo" after his battered girlfriend called the police.

James Burns, 19, throttled his girlfriend while shouting at her friend "you're gonna watch her get hurt" during an argument on May 6 last year. Burns, of North Road in St Helens, had turned up drunk at his girlfriend's home at around 6am following a night out and accused her of cheating on him before grabbing her by the neck.

The woman then left the house with her female friend, and as the pair left Burns shouted at them: "Tell anyone what happened and I'll come for you".

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When police went to arrest him later that day, they found cannabis in his possession, and a quick search of his mobile phone revealed the dad-of-one had been sending "flare" messages advertising the sale of cannabis, ketamine and cocaine to around 30 drug users. Texts referred to weed, haze, and "all night power lemo".

He was taken into custody, where he vandalised the inside of his cell, tearing plastic off the walls and scrawling the nickname "Burner".

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, May 2, where he pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, criminal damage, and three counts of being involved in the supply of drugs (class A and B).

In a victim statement read out to the court, Burns' now ex-girlfriend said: "I'm frightened James' friends might be stalking me to try to hurt me. I don't want him to blame me for what he did. I don't want him to take revenge. I don't want to carry on life if he's let out on bail or tag. I won't feel safe because I know what he's like."

Rebecca Smith, defending, said: "The defendant accepts he had been taking drugs for a period of time. He had owed people money and they had offered him an easy way to repay that debt and secure money for himself. He was aware that (his girlfriend) was pregnant and he wanted to provide for them.

"The relationship he and the victim had was a toxic relationship. They were very young and very quickly within the relationship beginning she found she was pregnant with her first child.

"It's quite clear there remains an undiagnosed deficiencies in the defendant's ability to be able to regulate his emotions and his ability to understand why it is he behaved in this way. The relationship he has with his mother and family was strained and very difficult for a period of time. It can be inferred they ended up in a refuge, and at a very young age the defendant has not only suffered trauma himself but witnessed trauma. It's a vicious circle we see in these courts."

She said Burns, who has six convictions for 14 past offences including multiple common assaults and possession of a knife, was no longer taking drugs since being taken into custody.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson said: "The offences occurred not just against a background of previous convictions, but also during a youth rehabilitation order. You're the only one that can deal with this. This is your behaviour. Unless you engage with those who are trying to help you, then you will find it particularly difficult to break aware from the sort of behaviours you have shown up to now. The fact you appear to be willing to try and leave this behind is a positive factor."

He sentenced Burns to a total of three years in prison, and passed a restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-girlfriend's friend.

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