'Evil' boyfriend who battered partner before she took own life jailed for just 3 months

A "calculating" boyfriend who attacked his girlfriend several times before she took her own life has been sentenced to six months in prison - but will likely only serve half.

Peter Yeung, from Toxteth, Liverpool, financially, emotionally and physically abused beloved nurse Alexandra Reid, but told her no one would believe her if she reported the abuse.

An inquest previously found Alexandra, known as Alex, took her own life because she feared no one would believe she was suffering at the hands of Yeung.

Yeung pleaded not guilty to assaulting Alex, forcing members of the 30-year-old's family to relive the abuse in court and defend her memory by assuring she was telling the truth.

The 35-year-old was today given a six-month prison sentence at Liverpool Magistrates' Court, of which he was told he will serve half, reports Liverpool Crown Court.

Dressed in a grey tracksuit, Yeung looked to the floor as emotional and distressing statements from Alex's family were read aloud in court today.

District Judge Andrew Shaw told Yeung: "Alex had confided in you that she had suffered domestic abuse before and you used this against her and you told her police would not believe it [abuse] was happening again.

"She was a vulnerable victim after being previously attacked and she was manipulated into believing that police would not believe her."

During his trial, in December, the former takeaway worker was found guilty of two charges of assault and admitted one of criminal damage - with District Judge Shaw stating his version of events wasn't plausible.

The trial heard how Yeung had throttled, kicked and burst the lip of Alex, and even tried to phone the police to cover his tracks, claiming she would “make up” the abuse.

Blasting him as "calculating and thoroughly dishonest," Judge Shaw said: "You tried to escape the consequences of your actions by misleading the police on the phone and in the evidence you gave to court."

Angela Conlan, prosecuting, questioned why Yeung wasn't brave enough to plead guilty to the assaults, after distressing images of Alex covered in bruises were shown to the court.

The sentencing comes nearly a year after Alex tragically took her own life, on February 24, 2020.

An inquest heard Alex died just seven days after making statements to police. Judge Shaw described Alex’s suicide as the “tragic shadow” which hung over the case.

Today's sentencing heard an emotional victim personal statement from Alex's sister, Katy Reid, who called Yeung "evil".

She said: "I feel empty within myself without Alex. [Her death] has left me unable to go to work because I've no motivation. She is no longer with me and I don't see the point."

She added: "This has destroyed my family. My mum is really struggling without her and Alex not being here with us is making it worse.

"Peter is an evil person. He is cruel and he battered her black and blue. He emptied her bank account and he gambled away all her money. She was under his spell and he was such a good liar.

"She was a beautiful young woman with the world at her feet."

Yeung assaulted community nurse Alex on January 17 and February 17, in 2020. He admitted causing criminal damage to Alex's mobile phone.

His trial heard Yeung and Alex had been together for about one year, but when they moved in together, at Wylva Road, Anfield, their relationship turned "rocky" as the pair argued about money.

Yeung, who admitted he was a gambling addict, was accused by Alex in a police statement of taking her money to spend in casinos after he was made unemployed from a takeaway, which he denied.

Nurse Alex also supported the couple for four months, paying all of the rent, and this led to arguments between the pair, the court heard.

On January 21, 2020, Yeung and Alex got into an argument before he was due to leave for a new hospitality job, in Widnes.

In a statement from Alex, read in court by Ms Conlan, she said: "I can't remember what the argument was over, but I told him to leave which caused him to lose his temper.

"He threw me across a wall in our home, he hit me against the wall and he pushed me down the stairs. He started throwing things around and he booted me into the dining room table."

Alex went on to say she barricaded herself in the bathroom with her back against the door, but Yeung kicked the door and pulled her out by the hair.

While doing so, Alex said: "He called me a slag and said 'watch what happens to you, I hate you'."

She said he then "throttled" her and took her phone away.

As the court was shown images of Alex's bruised body, Yeung admitted a bruise on her arm might have been caused by simply moving her out of the way because she tried to block him from leaving the house for work.

But he questioned the other pictures, saying: "I saw her two weeks or so later and they [the bruises] weren't there, she didn't mention it."

Alex was found to have bruises on her palm, arm, ankle, neck, chest and neck.

Yeung and Alex split up shortly after this, but the couple still had a remaining month on their tenancy. Yeung relocated to Sheffield for two weeks, but on February 17 he returned to the house where the second assault occurred.

Yeung claimed everything was fine but then Alex made suggestions he wasn't really in Sheffield and was being unfaithful.

Under questioning from his solicitor, Vicky Balenski, he claimed she tore bed sheets off of a bed he was making and threw his phone against the wall.

However Ms Conlan said: "Alex details being in an argument with the defendant and he elbowed her in the face, bruising her left cheek and bursting her lip. Her phone was also smashed as she says he smashed it."

In her statement, Alex said Yeung smashed the phone so she couldn't phone the police for help.

The court heard how Yeung brazenly phoned the police to say Alex was going to make up that he had hit her and he wanted to call them to get his version of events across.

He claimed Alex said: "I'm going to get you done-in."

In a haunting 999 call played to the police, Yeung can be heard shouting at Alex and saying 'I haven't hit you'', before Alex manages to ring the emergency services some time later to ask if they're on their way.

The force did not arrive until eight hours later.

Yeung said he "didn't know" how Alex's lip was burst and shamefully said she was plotting to falsely report Yeung to the police for domestic abuse "like she had with previous partners."

Sentencing today, Judge Shaw said: "Many factors of this case are tragically memorable."

Yeung was sentenced to six months for the first count of assault, four months for the second and one month for criminal damage.

All sentences will run concurrently.

Vicky Balenski, defending, said her client felt remorse and said he "torments himself every day with what he could have done" to stop Alex's death.

He was also given a restraining order against Alex's family for five years, and told to pay £128 in a victim surcharge fee.

Alex's family have spoken to the ECHO about the 30-year-old's ordeal previously.

Speaking after an inquest, earlier this year, Alex's sister, Katy Reid, said she was "loved by everyone".

Katy said: "I don't know anyone who didn't like her. Everyone's just really heartbroken that it's happened.

"She was good to all her friends and always there for them no matter what.

"Even if they rang her in the middle of the night, she would go and have a cup of tea with them, she was that kind of person."

During the inquest, her mum, Annette Leonard, said: "She was loved by everyone who knew her.

“She meant the world to us and she made a difference to everyone’s lives that she touched."Follow the Official Rokna NEWS Telegram Channel For More and fresh NEWS.

Mirror