A man has been jailed and handed a 10-year restraining order for his coercive and controlling behaviour against a woman he had been in a relationship with.
The victim reported to the police what 32-year-old Anthony Marks was doing to her, and she chose to utilise Rapid Video Response (RVR) the following day – a video call with a police officer, instead of seeing an officer in person.
This additional way for victims and survivors of domestic abuse to contact police was launched by Gloucestershire Constabulary last year.
Marks, previously of Finlay Road, Gloucester was arrested on 2 May, the day after the RVR call, and after an investigation by the Constabulary’s Reactive Investigation Team, he was charged and remanded in custody.
He appeared in court the following day and pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship.
At Gloucester Crown Court on 23 July Marks was sentenced to 45 months imprisonment. This was reduced to 30 months due to credit for pleading guilty and for time spent on remand.
The victim, aged in her 40s, had repeatedly tried to end their relationship, however Marks made threats to harm himself and her. He persistently made contact with the woman and his pattern of behaviour continued for months, which caused the victim distress and to feel isolated and trapped.
A statement was read in court on her behalf. She said: “Since the abuse started my life has completely changed. Although I kept the abuse to myself, it became apparent to family and friends the dramatic change in my character and life.
“Not going to the gym, having to change regular appointments, not socialising with friends, cancelling plans, not posting photos on social media with fear of the consequences if a male friend would comment or like something I posted, not accepting friend requests with fear he can still monitor this.
“It became easier to hide away rather than have the backlash that isolated me even more.
“Anthony’s actions towards me have completely destroyed my trust in people and destroyed my life. I am no longer the person I was and I don’t think I will ever get her back.
“I need the court to understand that although there were no bruises to heal from the trauma of Anthony’s actions, abuse continues to control my life.
“I look in the mirror, and I don’t recognise the person looking back at me. I am a shell of the person I once was. No one should ever be destroyed by another person.
“This may just be another case file for the courts, but this is my life I’ve had taken from me. I deserve to feel safe again.”
Investigating officer PC Charlie Griffiths said: “Marks repeatedly manipulated the victim and was controlling, which led to her feeling extremely unsafe and isolated.
“She bravely contacted police to tell us what he was doing, and we arranged a video call with her to gather information at the earliest opportunity.
“This resulted in Marks being arrested, and he hasn’t stepped outside of custody since that day.
“Domestic abuse is not solely physical harm. It covers a range of behaviours which include violent or threatening behaviour, coercive control, and psychological and emotional abuse.
“We do not underestimate how difficult it can be to report these types of offences to the police, but please know you have options and choices available to you. If you’re not sure if you want to speak to the police yet, you can seek support from a partner agency first.”
For more information on domestic abuse, information on how to report and a list of organisations which provide support, visit: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/
Professional support is available for anyone who has an abusive partner – you can contact Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service on 01452 726 570 or email: support@gdass.org.uk. More information is also available on their website: https://www.gdass.org.uk/
To report a domestic abuse related incident call police on the non-emergency number 101. In an emergency, or if the incident is ongoing, always call 999.
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme gives any member of the public the right to ask the police if their partner may pose a risk to them. It is often called ‘Clare’s Law’ after the landmark case that led to it.
This scheme also allows a member of the public to make an enquiry into the partner of a close friend or family member. For more information on this visit: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/alpha2/request-information-under-clares-law/