SENTENCE has been adjourned for a Carlisle man who has admitted subjecting his partner to “coercive and controlling” behaviour – including telling her what to wear.

Alan Steel, 36, pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before a judge at the city’s crown court, which heard that he is also due to be sentenced for an offence of obstructing a railway during an attempt to take his own life.

Steel, of Beverley Rise, Harraby, had previously denied being a controlling partner but changed his plea before his trial got underway.

The charge states that he committed the offence between July 5 and September 15 this year, when he engaged in behaviour which had a serious adverse effect on the victim. The allegation incudes him telling her what to wear and preventing her from socialising with certain people, the court heard.

He also “made her” terminate her job at a bookmakers and controlled what she spent her money on, the court heard.

But prosecutor Gerard Rogerson said the guilty plea to this offence had been entered on a basis which was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. In that basis, the defendant accepted the following:

* That he had previously criticised the clothing the victim wore.

* That he had commented about her talking to men at her bookmakers workplace.

* That he told her to not socialise with certain men after checking her phone and noticing friendly messages between her and one male.

The defendant said his criticism of his partner talking to men at the bookmakers was not the only reason she left that job. He accepted being abusive towards the woman while in drink but he denied ever being violent.

Defence barrister Anthony Parkinson said that alcohol appeared to be a factor in both offences. He asked Recorder Peter Atherton to adjourn sentence so that a pre-sentence background report can be prepared on the defendant.

The judge agreed that the background report should be prepared before sentence is passed and adjourned the case until Thursday, December 15, remanding the defendant in custody until that day.

The defendant spoke only to confirm his details and enter his plea to the controlling and coercive behaviour charge. He admitted the obstructing a railway offence on an earlier occasion at the city's Rickergate Magistrates' Court.