LIVERSEDGE MAN JAILED FOR CONTROLLING AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS PARTNER
A 27-year-old man from Liversedge, Joseph Wood, has received a prison sentence after committing a prolonged campaign of violence and coercion against his girlfriend.The court heard that Wood subjected her to months of violent assault, including beatings, strangulation, stamping, and other attacks.
He frequently restricted her freedom by forbidding her from leaving their home and exerted total control over her daily life.
Prosecutor Tom Jackson explained that Wood’s behaviour changed rapidly after a few months of dating, turning increasingly violent and controlling, with incidents where he punched her, pulled her hair, and caused bruising.
One of the most severe assaults lasted about thirty minutes, during which he strangled, punched, and stepped on her, leaving her with bruises and black eyes.
He damaged her mobile phone, kept her under constant surveillance by monitoring her calls, and accused her of cheating, to the point of squeezing her neck until she lost consciousness.
Wood also forced her to contact her daughter’s school to hide her injuries, kept her locked inside the house without access to any phone, and stopped her from working, making her financially dependent on him.
Throughout their relationship, her mental health declined, and she experienced nightmares, anxiety, and took medication.
She described his behaviour as having stolen her life during her period of grief and emotional crisis.
Wood has previous convictions including assaulting an ex-partner, criminal damage, breaching restraining orders, and he is currently serving a seven-year sentence for discharging a firearm.
He pled guilty to multiple charges, such as actual bodily harm, coercive and controlling behaviour, and breaking a non-molestation order.
Judge Simon Batiste sentenced him to three years and eight months, to run consecutively with his existing prison term, recognizing the extreme violence involved.
The defence argued that Wood was seeking therapy and aimed to change his behaviour, attributing his actions to witnessing domestic violence during childhood.
However, the court strongly condemned his conduct, describing it as highly violent and controlling, with the judge emphasizing the “extreme controlling behaviour backed by violence” and noting the sustained nature of his offences.
Wood was told that his sentences reflect the seriousness of his actions and that he would be subject to monitoring to prevent further offences.
