A woman from Crawley, West Sussex, was controlled by her abusive partner through 'violence and intimidation' for two years before he was jailed. Daisy, which is not her real name, was abused by Lee Yates, a man she met on a dating app in 2020. Throughout their relationship, Yates subjected Daisy to a string of traumatising experiences, from monitoring what she wore to controlling how long she spent in the bathroom.
Speaking Out After His Arrest
Following Yates' arrest and subsequent prison sentence, Daisy has decided to speak out about her ordeal to raise awareness of domestic abuse. 'This person has controlled your life for so long that you are stuck and you don't know what to do,' Daisy said. 'He controlled everything in my life, from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed. You are scared of them and the easiest thing to do is just to abide by their rules.'
Daisy recalled Yates being a nice and kind gentleman when they first met. However, he quickly began 'lovebombing' her — a psychological manipulation tactic where someone overwhelms a person with excessive affection — sending her lots of messages, calling her at 3am, and saying 'I love you' early on. While at first Daisy thought nothing of his behaviour, she said that things began to change six months in. Yates started to give hints of darker behaviour, starting with him confiscating her contraceptive pill.
Control and Abuse Escalate
He then started controlling her clothes, at first suggesting she wear something else, before escalating into ordering her to change. Daisy said Yates would also time her doing mundane tasks, even going so far as to time her in the toilet. If Daisy took longer than Yates wanted, he would get angry — sometimes barging into the bathroom if she took longer than three minutes. She also claimed he would control her sleeping patterns, not allowing her to go to bed when she wanted or stay there longer than him.
Recalling when they first met, Daisy said: 'He seemed nice. There were no alarm bells or anything. He kept asking me when we were meeting again but I just thought he was keen. It was fine for the first four to six months and then it just started creeping up. He started getting angry if I wanted to stay in bed or go out with friends.'
Daisy said Yates began forcing her to make him meals, chauffeur him around, and give him all her money to spend on alcohol. If she refused, Yates reportedly retaliated with physical abuse or threats to kill Daisy's pet horses. Later, Daisy claimed Yates would spit on her, urinate on her, and throw things at her. 'The first time he urinated on me he said “I own you now”,' Daisy said, adding: 'He put the cold shower on my face and basically burnt my chest. Then he spat at me and started throwing things at me. It was hell. I physically could not do anymore. You couldn't say no to him, it wasn't a word he knew.' It was also alleged that he attacked her in the car. On one occasion, Daisy caught the attack on camera.
Arrest and Sentencing
Yates was arrested in June 2022 after a neighbour reported Daisy being shoved in a car park to the police. This led to her finally confessing to the abuse she had suffered. 'I was going to end up dead, I am sure I was,' she said. 'The police knocked on the door saying that someone had called. Something in my head went “this is your way out”.'
However, Daisy still didn't feel completely safe. 'The moment he was arrested I was panicked. I thought he was going to be cross and come back and attack me. When the police arrested him I still felt like I would get in trouble for doing things. Even now there is still stuff that triggers me. I couldn't go out on my own. I was always looking over my shoulder. It is a horrible feeling. I will never be the same again, but I am not letting him win. There is life after trauma. I will never let a man treat me like that again.'
Yates was jailed at Lewes Crown Court in April 2026. He was found guilty of coercive and controlling behaviour and sentenced to three years in prison. Speaking after Yates was sentenced, Hannah Lane, an investigator at Sussex Police, said: 'Lee Yates sought to control almost every aspect of this victim's life, using violence and intimidation to try and subdue her. But he underestimated her strength. Thanks to her reporting his crimes to the police, he is now safely behind bars while she can look to rebuild her life. Our message to any victims of coercive or controlling behaviour is that you are not alone and help is out there. Report it to the police, a friend, or any other source of support, and we will do all we can to protect you.'
