Owen Dodd, 23, has been jailed for 680 days after brutally attacking his girlfriend on their Tenerife holiday, an assault that only stopped when he was set upon by a group of men. Liverpool Crown Court heard how Dodd bit his partner on the cheek in a nightclub before savagely punching and kicking her on the way back to their hotel.
Controlling behaviour from the start
The court was told that Dodd and Letitia Horne began their relationship in December 2024, when he rang her while on holiday in Egypt to ask her to be his girlfriend. When he returned, he brought his suitcase to her flat and moved in without any prior discussion.
Prosecutor Tom Challinor explained how the relationship soon became strained after Dodd was made redundant and made little or no effort to get another job, instead spending most of his time playing computer games. This led to growing resentment before the pair went on holiday to Mexico with his parents in February 2025.
They drank heavily throughout that holiday, leading to several arguments and incidents. Despite being warned by his grandfather to stop drinking and mistreating people, Dodd later borrowed money from the same relative to join other family members on a drinking holiday to Tenerife.
The nightclub attack
Ms Horne, 22, confided in her mother beforehand that she had a bad feeling about the trip, given how things had gone in Mexico. On their first day on holiday, they visited several pubs and bars, with both consuming alcohol and taking cocaine and ecstasy before he bit her on the cheek in a nightclub without warning.
The group were forced to leave the venue after Ms Horne was left very upset by the assault. One of Dodd's cousins confronted him about his behaviour, only for him to react by smashing a bottle and threatening to stab his relatives. He only agreed to put down the weapon when his girlfriend consented to return to their hotel with him.
Dodd then lost his temper again while they were making their way back to their lodgings, bellowing in Ms Horne's face and striking her two to three times, causing her to tumble to the ground and smash the back of her head against the kerb. He persisted in his assault while she was on the pavement by booting her in the head a further two to three times as she tried to get back on her feet.
Attack stops when strangers intervene
His attack only stopped when another group of men stepped in and began assaulting him as Ms Horne begged them to stop. Nevertheless, he then resumed his violence back at the hotel room, where he shoved her into a mirror, causing it to shatter, while telling her that he held her responsible for the attack he had endured, during which he had lost his mobile phone and watch.
Dodd wept the following morning after sobering up and seeing what he had done. He purchased Ms Horne a pair of sunglasses to conceal her black eyes, she having also sustained blurred vision, bruising and scratches to her face, a split lip and a lump to the back of her head. He meanwhile informed her that her crying made him angry when he was drunk, and that's why he lost his temper.
Ms Horne made up a story and said she'd been robbed during a FaceTime call to her relatives back at home, claiming that her bag had been snatched from her during an attack. While Dodd appeared contrite and promised not to touch her again following their return to the UK, vowing he would get a job and seek help, he instead carried on drinking and taking drugs before his temper exploded during another incident while they were visiting his grandparents on April 3.
Sentencing
After Ms Horne had driven him home, he allegedly tried to seize the steering wheel and smash into parked vehicles before striking the windscreen when she brought the car to a halt, causing the glass to fracture in two places. She demanded he get out and sped away as a consequence, marking their last face to face contact.
Dodd then persisted in contacting Ms Horne through phone and social media, warning her that she might as well contact the police, otherwise he'd stalk her and never leave her alone. She eventually reported his behaviour after being urged to do so by both his and her parents.
Ms Horne was compelled to take five months off work after being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder following the abuse. Mr Challinor stated: "She says that the emotional and psychological damage, she fears, will stay with her forever. She struggles with anxiety and fear, has constant thoughts of it and constant flashbacks. Such was the stress and trauma she experienced that she started to lose her hair and also lost a lot of weight."
Dodd has one previous conviction, receiving a fine for assault by beating in 2023. Philip Astbury, defending, told the court: "It is a particular unpleasant offence. It took place at a time when the complainant no doubt felt vulnerable and isolated abroad."
Dodd pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage. Dressed in a black shirt and trousers in the dock, he was sentenced to 680 days behind bars and given an indefinite restraining order.
Sentencing, Recorder Tania Griffiths KC said: "This occurred only a few months after the start of the relationship. Problems in the relationship began very shortly afterwards. Your behaviour was, almost immediately, seriously predatory and controlling. I have formed the very definite view that you are a controlling bully. Sometimes, the only language that a bully understands is one which has an immediate impact. The only sentence, in my judgement, that does that is one of immediate custody. I hope that gives you the wake up call that your family can't."
