MOTHER RECOUNTS YEARS OF TORMENT FROM EX AS HE’S JAILED FOR COERCIVE CONTROL
A victim of domestic abuse told police she endured ‘three years of misery’ at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Thomas Evans, during which she felt ‘robotic’ and had a ‘fear of breathing too loudly’.Evans, of School Street, Barrow, was sentenced for engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour from January 1, 2021, to June 19, 2023, at Preston Crown Court.
The court heard how Evans, 35, ‘badgered’ his former partner for sex and became ‘hostile and unpleasant’ when she refused.
He also complained when they didn’t go to bed at the same time, accused her of being unfaithful, threw a whisky bottle at her, and smashed her children’s furniture and toys.
Evans even threw a speaker in the direction of his ex-girlfriend’s chest, which rolled onto the feet of their baby.
Prosecutor Sicilia Pritchard read the victim’s statement, where she described feeling ashamed, torn apart, constantly living in fear, and becoming isolated and riddled with anxiety.
She stated, ‘He tore me apart bit by bit until there was almost nothing left of me...I was always just waiting for the next outburst and explosion.
I was constantly living in fear of doing the wrong thing, a fear of breathing too loudly or spending money on things.
Psychologically, I’ve become a shell of myself.
I have been riddled with anxiety.
It has caused me so much turmoil.
I constantly felt miserable and lonely.
I became isolated from my family and lost most of my friends.
I know I’ve missed out on things that only happen once in life.
I’ve had to take time off work for anxiety and depression.
His behaviour has affected my children, who were fearful of him and scared of him shouting at me.
We went through three years of misery.
I feel like a failure for staying with him for so long.
I’m now at the start of the path to rebuilding to where I was before, but I will be affected forever by what has happened.’ Evans received a five-year restraining order, a 16-month sentence suspended for two years, 25 RAR days, and a three-month drug rehabilitation program.
His barrister argued that his psychological mental illness influenced his offending behavior.
