Her boyfriend threatened to shoot her in the face because she was ‘in a bad mood because she didn’t have cannabis’

A victim of domestic abuse “asked her friend for coffee” as a code to signal her friend to call the police. Scott Berry punched his girlfriend in the face during an unprovoked attack, leaving her with two black eyes.

He then threatened to shoot his partner and subjected her to a second attack when she was “in a bad mood because she didn’t have cannabis”. Officers later discovered she had an imitation firearm hidden in a duffel bag after she attended the scene.

Liverpool Crown Court we heard yesterday afternoon, tuesday, that Berry has been in an “on-the-fly” relationship with Amy Dwyer for about five years, with the couple sharing a two-year-old child. She claimed the 32-year-old, of no fixed address, had subjected her to “mental and physical abuse” on previous occasions, although he had never been convicted of such offences.

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David Polglase, prosecuting, outlined how she was also subject to bail conditions banning her from having any contact with the defendant because of an alleged malicious communication offence. But it was said that Mrs Dwyer “felt pressured” to allow her to continue living in her Stanley Road flat in Bootle before an incident on September 7 this year, during which Berry punched her twice in the face and left her with a black eye after telling her to leave his property.

Just over a week later, on September 15, when the couple attended the address with her boyfriend Taygan McClure, he was described as “agitated and in a bad mood because he had no cannabis to smoke”. After another row broke out, he threatened: “Don’t think I won’t hit you because your mate is here. I don’t care if you brought your pair here for protection. I’ll shoot you in the face too. I shoot Taygan in the face.”

Mrs McClure offered to lend Berry money to buy drugs, but this only “seemed to shake him up”. As he started to walk towards the front door, Ms Dwyer “asked him to get a coffee” – which the two had previously agreed to use as a “safe word” indicating they should call the police.

The complainant tried to leave with her friend, but her boyfriend grabbed her legs and removed her shoes to prevent her from doing so. As Ms McClure fled the scene, Berry closed the door and punched her partner in the ribs.

Officers then went to the apartment and recovered a blank-firing pistol inside a duffel bag, along with empty cartridges. The gun’s barrel was said to have remained obstructed, the gun not having been converted to allow live ammunition to be fired.

Although Berry did not produce a firearm during the incident, Ms Dwyer “described him as having been in possession of such a handgun” previously. She was said to have asked him to remove the object from the house, but he did not.

A neighbor, Leah Denton, also reported that Berry asked her to handle the blank-firing gun, although she refused. Berry has a total of 14 previous convictions for 28 offences, last appearing before the courts for criminal damage in 2020.

Charles Lander, defending, said: “He was released from his last custodial sentence in December 2015. There was a long gap before he was back in custody. Except for one relatively minor matter, he has stayed out of trouble ever since. “

Mr Lander told the court his client obtained the gun after receiving threats from a man who was charged alongside Ms Dwyer if he was banned from contacting Berry, adding: “He says it was a fantasy. to use it, but accepts that he had it.

“He has no history of violence. There is a background regarding his health. He suffers from ADHD. Also aged 18, he had a heart problem that led to the placement of an internal pacemaker.

“He is eager to find work once he is released. In the few weeks he has spent in custody, he has taken constructive steps. His goal is to continue those constructive steps.”

Berry admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, making death threats and two counts of assault. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 20 months and given a seven-year restraining order.

Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “You threatened to shoot her and her friend in the face. It was not an idle threat. They both knew you were in possession of a blank-shooting pistol.

“After those threats were made and as Ms Dwyer attempted to leave the premises you punched her in the ribs causing bruising. It was not the first time you had used violence towards her, as you had assaulted her the previous week.

“The background to all of this is the breakup of your relationship. It seems she was out on bail at the time for a crime committed against you and you were threatened by her new partner.

“While it provides an explanation for your possession of the gun, it provides no excuse. It is fair to note that it has been some time since you last spent time in custody.”