A young woman's instinct proved tragically correct when she told her mother she had a 'bad feeling' about a holiday to Tenerife with her boyfriend. Within hours of arriving, she was bitten, punched and kicked in a vicious assault that a judge condemned as the work of a 'controlling bully'.
Owen Dodd, 23, from Warrington, has now been jailed for 680 days after launching the brutal attack on his partner, Letitia Horne, during a 'drinking holiday' to the Canary Islands. The violence began on the first evening of the trip and only stopped when a group of men intervened.
What happened on the couple's holiday to Tenerife?
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Dodd and Ms Horne had entered into a relationship in December 2024, when he telephoned her from Egypt and proposed they become a couple. Upon his return, he moved into her flat without any prior discussion.
The relationship soon became strained after Dodd lost his job and made little effort to find another, instead spending most of his time playing computer games. The couple had previously taken a holiday to Mexico with his parents in February 2025, where they drank heavily and had several arguments.
Despite a warning from his grandfather to 'stop drinking and mistreating people', Dodd borrowed money from the same relative to join family members on the Tenerife trip. Ms Horne, then 22, travelled with him despite confiding in her mother that she had a bad feeling about the trip, given how things had gone in Mexico.
How did the attack unfold?
During their first day abroad, the couple visited multiple pubs and bars, consuming alcohol, cocaine and ecstasy. In a nightclub, Dodd bit Ms Horne's cheek without warning, leaving her very upset. When a cousin confronted him, he smashed a bottle and threatened to stab family members.
Ms Horne agreed to accompany him back to the hotel, but on the way he lost his temper again, screaming in her face and striking her two to three times. She collapsed to the ground, hitting the back of her head on the kerb, and he continued kicking her in the head as she struggled to her feet.
The attack only halted when a group of men turned on Dodd. Back at the hotel, he shoved her into a mirror, shattering it, and blamed her for the assault he had suffered.
What was the aftermath of the abuse?
The following morning, Dodd wept when he saw the injuries he had inflicted, and bought Ms Horne sunglasses to conceal her black eyes. She had sustained blurred vision, bruising, scratches, a split lip and a lump to the back of her head. He told her her crying made him angry when he was drunk.
Ms Horne made up a story for her family, claiming she had been robbed. Dodd promised not to touch her again, but his temper exploded again in April, when he tried to seize the steering wheel of her car and strike the windscreen.
He later told her she might as well contact the police, otherwise he would stalk her and never leave her alone. She took five months' leave from her job after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and began losing her hair due to the stress.
What did the judge say in sentencing?
Recorder Tania Griffiths KC condemned Dodd as a 'controlling bully', stating: 'Sometimes, the only language that a bully understands is one which has an immediate impact.' She noted his behaviour was 'seriously predatory and controlling' from the start of the relationship.
His defence counsel argued for a suspended sentence, citing his youth, mental health issues and supportive family. However, the judge concluded that immediate custody was the only appropriate sentence, saying: 'I hope that gives you the wake up call that your family can't.'
Dodd pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage. He was also issued with an indefinite restraining order.
Frequently asked questions
What sentence did Owen Dodd receive?
Owen Dodd was sentenced to 680 days in prison and given an indefinite restraining order after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
Where did the attack take place?
The assault took place in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, during a holiday with family members. Dodd also attacked his girlfriend back at their hotel room.
What injuries did the victim sustain?
Ms Horne suffered black eyes, blurred vision, bruising and scratches to her face, a split lip and a lump to the back of her head. She was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.