A CARLISLE woman whose boyfriend subjected her to months of controlling behaviour gave a court a powerful account of the trauma she suffered.

The woman read her victim impact statement at the city’s crown court after 38-year-old Andrew Martin Read admitted subjecting her to controlling and coercive behaviour over a six-month period.

He entered his guilty plea on the day he was due to stand trial. A judge said Read deliberately “overwhelmed” the woman’s will and independence.

The prosecutor in court outlined the offence, saying that the woman and Read began their relationship in September of last year, having met at a city nightspot where he worked as part of the door staff.

The woman also worked there, but during the relationship he asked her to quit the job, saying he was unhappy with her working there. He was also unhappy that the woman, a regular at a local gym, had a male personal trainer.

“He pressurised her to end that relationship,” said the prosecutor.

“He was also pressurising her not to wear certain kinds of tight or revealing clothing and the pressure on her employment, and social and personal life increased.

"When she was due to go to a social event where there would be male and female friends, he threatened to turn up and interrupt it."

He continued pressuring her to give up her job, even offering to pay her lost wages. “He further isolated her from her friends,” said the barrister.

In her victim impact statement, which she read in court, the woman said her experience shattered her trust in men and left her suffering panic attacks, depression and anxiety and nightmares.

Read regularly featured in those bad dreams. The process of attending court was traumatic, said the woman.

“There were moments when I didn’t want to be here anymore,” she said. “I felt like I was drowning; I just wanted to run away. I didn’t think I could do it and I found the whole idea [of facing court] terrifying."

Read denied the offence until the "last possible minute", causing more emotional trauma as he sought even then to retain an "element of control" over her, she said.

The defendant had seven previous offences on his record, including two assaults and criminal damage, which resulted in a court restraining order.

Kim Whittlestone, defending, said the defendant accepted the offence on the day the trial was due to begin. “There was never any violence,” said the barrister. “The relationship started off well but became toxic.

She added that Read was capable of rehabilitation.

Judge Nicholas Barker said the relationship was toxic only because of the defendant’s conduct and he was satisfied Read had behaved in this way previously.

“During the course of what was a relatively short relationship, you overwhelmed the independence and will of [the victim],” the judge told Read.

His victim was left “hollow inside,” emptied of her confidence, which was destroyed by what he did to her. In his probation interview, he had sought to divert the blame to his victim. Read had called the woman “crazy” to make her feel inadequate.

His views were evidence of classic controlling behaviour. It was not physical abuse but mental abuse which caused the harm.

“I don’t find you to be genuinely remorseful,” observed the judge. He told Read, of Warwick Square, Carlisle, he will be subjected to a 16 month jail term, suspended for two years.

He must complete an accredited programme and five rehabilitation activity days. As punishment, he must complete 180 hours of unpaid work. A decade long restraining order bans any contact with the victim.