ASHTON MAN JAILED FOR VIOLENT CAMPAIGN OF DOMESTIC ABUSE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
A 42-year-old offender named Emmanuel Richards was found guilty of a series of serious crimes directed at a vulnerable woman during a campaign of abuse.During the hearing, a judge described Richards as a 'very powerful man' and detailed his assaultive behavior, which included strangling the victim until she lost consciousness and committing rape on three separate occasions.
The court also heard that Richards threw a phone at her, punched her in the jaw resulting in permanent facial scars, and degraded her by hanging a sign on her door accusing her of having chlamydia.
Further allegations revealed that he chased her with a machete, threatened to pour boiling water over her, and compelled her to hold drugs.
At one point, he attacked her with a brick.
Throughout his abusive actions, Richards exhibited controlling and coercive tendencies—forcing her to handle drugs, isolating her from others, and humiliating her, with some incidents allegedly linked to personal issues within his own family.
The victim described living in a state of 'constant fear' during the trial and revealed she suffers from PTSD, panic attacks, depression, and facial disfigurement.
She also expressed worries about going out alone and feeling intimidated by men.
Richards, who had prior convictions for violence and sexual offenses and had recently been released from prison before the assaults took place, chose not to attend his sentencing via prison video link and was tried in his absence.
The court sentenced him to 15 years in prison, with a minimum of two-thirds served before a review for release, along with a three-year extended supervision period.
An indefinite restraining order was also issued to prevent any contact with his victim.
The judge declared Richards a dangerous individual, emphasizing his violent and domineering conduct.
After sentencing, police officer DC Zee Hussain commended the victim’s bravery for speaking out, stating, 'Richards is a controlling and manipulative person who inflicted both physical and psychological harm.
I hope his time behind bars allows him to reflect on his reprehensible acts and the suffering he caused.'
