HENDY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO COERCIVE CONTROL AND STALKING OF EX-PARTNER
A MAN who was due to stand trial accused of coercive control and stalking has pleaded guilty on the day of trial.Joshua Boland, 28, appeared at Swansea Crown Court charged with three offences in the Hendy area.
Boland was accused of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship between 2020 and 2023.
It was alleged that Boland would look through his partner’s phone, demanded details of her sexual history with previous partners, called her abusive names, threatened suicide if she broke up with him, pretended to take his own life, took her in his car against her will and put his hands around her throat, accused her of cheating on him, and contacted her colleagues pretending to be her.
He was also accused of stalking, causing the woman serious alarm or distress, between January 1 and May 23 this year.
Boland was alleged to have constantly messaged his now ex-partner, continued to access her social media, turned up at her place of work, followed her home from her workplace, and messaged her more than 80 times in one day.
He had also been charged with raping a woman at a point between August 31, 2022, and October 1, 2023.
He had denied all three charges, but on the day of trial – November 18 – he switched his pleas and admitted coercive control and stalking.
“These pleas are acceptable to the prosecution,” said prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins, adding that a trial would not be sought on the rape charge.
Ms Smith-Higgins offered no evidence on the rape charge, and Judge Huw Rees entered a formal not guilty verdict.
Judge Rees adjourned the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Boland was remanded back into custody, and will be sentenced on December 13.
