A CONTROLLING Carlisle husband who made his wife’s life a misery for more than a decade has been jailed for 30 months.

At the city's Crown Court, 59-year-old John Nicholson had denied the allegation and an actual bodily harm assault on another woman, his former partner, and also the controlling and coercive behaviour allegation.

He was found guilty after a trial.

The court heard that he committed the assault in Brampton in July 2009 against a woman who was formerly his partner. The coercive and controlling behaviour was directed at his then wife between 2009 and 2021. 

After he was jailed, Detective Constable Emma Armstrong said: “He was controlling in relation to the woman’s friends, he was degrading towards her and discouraged her from roles at work.

"The woman was often left in fear due to his threatening behaviour throughout the relationship.

“It is understandably difficult for victims of abuse to talk about what happened to them and any reports we receive will be taken seriously and will be dealt with professionally and sensitively.

“The Constabulary works closely with trusted partner agencies to provide the appropriate support which is tailored to an individual’s circumstances.

“These offences will not be tolerated by Cumbria Constabulary, and we will do everything within our power to hold them accountable for their actions and bring them to justice.

“I would encourage anyone who has been subject to offences of this nature to come forward so that our officers can investigate. You will be supported throughout our investigation.”

The defendant’s address was given as Loanwath Road in Dumfries.

* For the detailed court report, see tomorrow's News & Star. 

Report and Support

If you wish to report an incident of domestic or sexual abuse, please contact police. You can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it or calling 101. If it is an emergency or a crime is in action, please dial 999.

For more information on the support available for victims of domestic or sexual abuse, please visit - Advice about domestic abuse | Cumbria Police

Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS)/ Clare’s Law application

This scheme enables the police to release information about any previous history of violence or abuse a person might have.

To make an application visit - Request information under Clare's Law: Make a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) application | Cumbria Police