UK MAN JAILED FOR CONTROLLING AND COERCIVE BEHAVIOUR USING HEARSAY EVIDENCE
Steven Saunders, who is 31 years old, was found guilty of subjecting his pregnant partner to controlling and coercive behaviour.He exerted such influence over her that he moved her out of sheltered accommodation and compelled her to live on the streets.
Saunders also forced her to use her bank card for spending, to utilize her benefits, and to take part in shoplifting activities.
This case was notable as the first in the UK to secure a conviction without the need for her to testify directly, relying instead on medical and expert reports that detailed his domineering and aggressive conduct.
Court hearings revealed that Saunders exhibited intense jealousy concerning their unborn child and resisted engaging with professionals so he could retain full dominance over her.
He received an 18-month prison sentence.
Additionally, he was sentenced to an extra three months for breaching a previous community order and was granted an indefinite restraining order.
Surrey Police’s Detective Constable Seb Valentine emphasized that Saunders’s actions significantly endangered both his partner and their unborn child, and he regarded the case as a groundbreaking legal precedent for convictions based on hearsay evidence in coercive control cases.
