The woman “asked her friend for coffee,” but it was actually a secret message

Her boyfriend threatened to shoot her in the face because he was “in a bad mood because he didn’t have any marijuana.”

A domestic violence victim “asked her friend for coffee” as a secret code to call the police. Scott Berry brutally 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 “he was in a bad mood because he didn’t have any marijuana.” Upon arrival, officers later discovered that he had hidden an imitation firearm in his sports bag.

Liverpool Crown Court Yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, I heard that Berry had been in an on-and-off relationship with Amy Dwyer for about five years, and the couple had a two-year-old child. She alleged that the 32-year-old of no fixed address had previously committed “mental and physical abuse”, although he had never been convicted of such offenses before.

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Prosecutor David Polglase told how she was also subject to bail conditions prohibiting her from having any contact with the defendant in connection with the alleged white-collar communications offence. However, Mrs Dwyer is said to have “felt pressure” to allow him to continue to live at her flat in Stanley Road in Bootle before an incident on September 7 this year in which Berry punched her twice in the face and left her with black eyes after she told him to leave her property.

Just over a week later, on September 15, when the couple was present for an interview with her friend Taygan McClure, he was described as “agitated and in a bad mood because he had no marijuana to smoke.” After another argument, he threatened: “Don’t think I won’t hit you because your partner is here. I don’t care if you brought your partner here for protection. You shoot you in the face and I shoot Taygan in the face.”

Ms McClure offered to lend Berry money to buy drugs for himself, but this only “seemed to excite him”. As she started to head for the front door, Ms Dwyer “asked her for a coffee” – which they both had previously agreed to use as a “safe word” indicating she should call the police.

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

Officers then went to the residence and recovered a blank pistol from inside the duffel bag along with blank rounds. The gun barrel was said to be clogged and the weapon had not been modified to fire live ammunition.

Although Berry did not display any firearm during the incident, Ms Dwyer “described him as possessing such a handgun” previously. She is said to have asked him to take the item from her house, but he did not do so.

A neighbor, Leah Denton, also reported that Berry asked her to keep an eye on the blank pistol, although she refused. Berry has a total of 14 previous convictions for 28 offenses and last appeared in court for criminal damages in 2020.

Defense lawyer Charles Lander said: “He was released from his last prison sentence in December 2015. It took a long time for him to return to custody. Except for one relatively minor issue, he has been out of trouble since then. “

Lander told the court his client obtained the gun after receiving threats from a man who was charged with Ms Dwyer in the case, which resulted in her being banned from contacting Berry, adding: “He says it was a fantasy. He never intended to use it, but he admits he had it.

“He has not experienced violence. The reasons are related to his health condition. He suffers from ADHD. He also had heart problems at the age of 18, which led to him having an internal pacemaker implanted.

“I want to find a job after being laid off. During the few weeks he spent in custody, he made constructive steps. His goal is to continue these constructive steps.”

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

Passing sentence, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “You threatened to shoot her and her friend in the face. It wasn’t an idle threat. They both knew you had a blank gun.

“Following these threats and when Ms Dwyer attempted to leave the premises, you punched her in the ribs, causing bruises. This wasn’t the first time you had used violence against her, as you had attacked her the previous week.

“The background to all this is the breakdown of your relationship. It appears that she was on bail at the time for a crime committed against you, and her new partner was threatening you.

“While it provides some explanation for your possession of a gun, it does not constitute an excuse. It is important to note that it has been some time since you were last in custody.”