MANSFIELD MAN CONVICTED FOR CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR AND DRUG OFFENCES
A woman has been left having "nightmares" due to the controlling and coercive behaviour she suffered at the hands of her ex-partner.During her relationship with Robert Goucher, his controlling and coercive behaviour included assault and use of violence, sexual coercion, damaging property, monitoring the survivor’s whereabouts and preventing her from going to work.
It even got to the stage where she was prevented from going to work after Goucher let her car tyres down to stop her leaving the house.
She has been left fearing he will return to her home and "knock on the door", despite him being convicted of several offences.
Goucher, of Leeming Lane North in Mansfield Woodhouse, pleaded guilty to engaging in controlling and cohersive behaviour after appearing at Nottingham Crown Court last week.
The 22-year-old, who also pleaded guilty to possession of Class B drug amphetamine with intent to supply, as well as supplying Class B drug cannabis, was handed a 22-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
He was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order preventing any future contact with his victim during his sentencing on Thursday, January 28.
His victim, who has asked to remain anonymous, gave an account of her ordeal and said that, at the time, she did not "pick up on" his behaviour.
She said: “At the time I thought our relationship was the same as everyone else’s.
It is only since I left him that I have a different viewpoint.
This was brought home to me since I completed the ‘freedom’ course with Women’s Aid.
“I now think how didn’t I pick up on this before?
How could I have been so stupid?
“It was just a gradual creeping control that, before I realised, I was in and trapped.
“He always said ‘you’ll never be able to leave me’.
My life now is so much better without him being a part of it but I do still have nightmares.
"The theme is that he has found out where I’m living, that there’s a knock at the door and it’s him."
