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'Nothing left but tears': victim tells coercive control hearing of violent relationship
Summary
In a 20‑month abusive relationship, a 52‑year‑old woman testified that she did not understand domestic violence until it was inflicted piece by piece, leaving her with tears. She described repeated physical assaults by a 52‑year‑old man, including burning her foot, cutting her with a pizza slicer, head‑butting her after nasal surgery, stamping on her arm causing fractures, and strangling her with finger marks on her throat. The man threatened to send explicit images to her family if she withdrew charges. In November, a jury convicted him of coercive control, intimidation, assault and 12 counts of assault causing harm, with acquittals on one assault‑causing‑harm and one endangerment charge. He pleaded guilty to a separate charge of intending to pervert the course of justice for attempts to get her to withdraw statements. The unnamed 52-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Nothing left but tears': victim tells coercive control hearing of violent relationship. Charges or matters: all the offences; a separate charge of intending to pervert the course of justice in the period between March and July 2020. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- May 2018 Incident
- January 2020 Incident
- July 2020 Incident
- September 22, 2019 Other
- April 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 19 Adjournment
- March 2020 Incident
- January 2019 Incident
- 2021-01-12 Publication
Why: The victim made a 999 call in January 2019, during which she was very upset and said she was hiding in a toilet in the apartment unable to leave because the man was present. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: all the offences; a separate charge of intending to pervert the course of justice in the period between March and July 2020 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: An investigation was launched and recordings were obtained of 146 phone calls made by the accused man to the victim while he was remanded in custody.
Places mentioned
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