MAN WHO HELD PARTNER'S HEAD IN BATH TUB JAILED FOR CONTROLLING AND ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR
A man who subjected his partner to control and abuse, leading her to fear for her safety, has been sentenced to prison.Aqial Rathore, 44, of no fixed abode in Watford, appeared at Luton Crown Court on Thursday (May 20), where he pleaded guilty to charges including coercive and controlling behaviour, assault by beating, and other crimes.
The police were called on September 24, 2020, when officers from Bedfordshire responded to a disturbance at a property on Catherall Road, Luton, involving Rathore and his partner.
The confrontation started as a dispute but escalated after she asked him to leave her alone.
Rathore initially insulted her verbally, then physically pushed her onto a bed, restrained her, and held her head under water in the bath, threatening further violence.
The investigation uncovered a six-month period during which Rathore exhibited controlling and abusive behaviour towards her.
During court proceedings, the victim disclosed her fears: “He makes me feel scared and panicky all the time.
I am scared for my life.
I’m affected by this relationship, as I lose sleep.
“I don’t get to see my family when I’m with him, and if I go to my sister’s, he calls me every hour until I am home.
He drops me off and picks me up." The court was told Rathore kept her confined at home, stopped her from leaving, and made her eat alone in a bedroom.
His abusive tactics included verbal insults, dictating her clothing, showing jealousy over her family interactions, and confiscating her mobile phone.
The victim added: “He controls everything I do.
I have asked to go to college and he has stopped me from bettering myself.
If it wasn’t for someone calling the police, I believe he would have killed me.” Rathore was convicted of controlling and abusive conduct, receiving a sentence of 25 months, plus three months for assault.
His convictions also included possession of an offensive weapon, drug driving, cannabis possession, and common assault, totaling a 38-month jail term.
