A "JEALOUS and controlling" man from Herefordshire has been jailed after abusing his ex-partner over 18 months.

Defendant Theo Waldron admitted to engaging in coercive or controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship.

He physically abused his ex-partner in several different ways over their 18-month relationship, including by grabbing the back of her neck, gripping her by her face, and pinning her down with his hand over her mouth.

He would also try to control her life by taking her electronic devices away, checking her internet history, asking her to delete contacts from her phone, stopping her from going out, and controlling her money and working patterns.

The victim said that she became isolated from her friends, family and colleagues and felt trapped in the relationship. She didn't know Waldron's real name or the truth about who he was, Worcester Crown Court was told on Friday, January 5.

Waldron, 36, of the Meads in Hildersley near Ross-on-Wye, was jailed for a total of 20 months. A 10-year restraining order was made not to approach the victim in any way.

This came after he breached police bail conditions following his arrest last year and made contact with the victim through the gaming app Pokemon Go, and by approaching her in a car park.

Judge Nicholas Cole said Waldron had subjected his former partner to "outrageous behaviour".

He said that Waldron had been trying to "maximise fear or distress" for the victim using various methods.

Judge Cole said that he took into account Waldron's guilty plea when imposing the sentence, but that he could not ignore how serious and prolonged the offending was, and that only a prison sentence could be justified. 

The defendant was not described as a danger to the public and was told he may only serve half of his sentence before being released from prison.

Claire Harris, prosecuting, said that the first instance of controlling or coercive behaviour dated back to April 2022 when the relationship began. During the relationship, the defendant made threats to harm or kill himself and also threatened to kill the victim if she defied him. He demanded that she move away from her home and family.

Ms Harris read a statement from the victim which said: "I was stressed and I felt unsafe. I felt the whole relationship wasn't real. I didn't know his real name or who he was."

Andrew Davidson, defending, said that the defendant had another side to his character and had done work in the community, including flower arranging. 

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He said the defendant had mental health issues and had expressed remorse for his behaviour. A psychiatrist's report denied any evidence of a mental health disorder and said that Waldron did not think he had done anything wrong.

Mr Davidson said: "This is not sophisticated. This is a toxic relationship with a man controlling a woman. He didn't stop her from seeing her friends entirely. Jealousy was the root of the problem and there are some odd features of this defendant. In the distant future, he intends to move away from Ross-on-Wye because he has no friends there."

Waldron remains in custody in HMP Hewell.