ABUSER JAILED AFTER FAILING TO LEARN HIS LESSON
A man who persistently harassed and exerted control over his former partner despite being under a restraining order has been sentenced to prison.James Marriott, aged 36, was issued a one-year restraining order on 18 June, prohibiting him from contacting his ex-girlfriend.
However, within just a week, police were alerted by a concerned friend of the woman who feared for her safety.
The victim had confided that Marriott had been turning up at her home in Cambridge since his release from custody.
He had subjected her to verbal abuse, coerced her into sending him money, and messaged her relentlessly.
When officers spoke with the woman, she provided further insight into the scale of Marriott’s controlling behaviour.
Her phone showed dozens of missed calls and extensive messages.
His actions revealed a sustained campaign of emotional manipulation.
Marriott reportedly dictated who she could speak to, accused her of infidelity, and demanded that she save his number in her phone as “my husband”.
He isolated her from her social circle, often berating her for interacting with others.
The woman told officers that his conduct left her feeling "deluded and crazy", leading her to doubt her own reality.
In one alarming incident, after shouting at her, Marriott raised his fist—causing her to instinctively shield her head for two minutes in fear.
He also threatened harm against a friend who had shared a photograph online featuring the victim.
On 29 July, police arrested Marriott at Cambridge Railway Station after discovering messages indicating he was en route to see the woman once again.
Marriott, of Toppesfield Gardens, Hadleigh, Ipswich, was charged with harassment in breach of a restraining order and with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday, 24 September.
He received a custodial sentence totalling one year and eight months.
Detective Constable William Kerslake, who led the investigation, stated: “Marriott’s behaviour was clearly having a detrimental impact on his victim’s life and it’s also clear he’d failed to learn his lesson after being handed a restraining order.
“No person should have to suffer this kind of abuse and this case helps to highlight that domestic abuse isn’t always just physical.
“Victims can suffer from the threat and fear of injury, daily intimidation and having every aspect of their life monitored and controlled.
Coercive control is a criminal offence, and as this case also highlights, we take all reports of it very seriously.”
