Stephen Woodall, 59, of Stanage Avenue in Blackley, Manchester, was sentenced to 45 months in prison at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to multiple charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking involving fear of violence, sharing an intimate photograph without consent, and perverting the course of justice. He was also handed a 10-year restraining order.
Campaign of abuse lasting 18 months
Woodall launched an 18-month campaign of emotional and physical abuse against his victim, which included assault that required hospital treatment and stitches. After his initial arrest, he was given strict bail conditions but ignored them, continuing to contact the victim, her family, and friends in an attempt to coerce her into dropping the charges.
Greater Manchester Police reported that Woodall also shared intimate images of the victim online without her consent, further traumatising her.
Victim's powerful statement
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described the lasting impact of the abuse. She said: "I am still living with it every single day. The fear he created did not stop; it stayed with me. It has become part of how I exist."
She added: "I have lived with the genuine fear that he could kill me. That is not something I can simply forget or move past. Those words continue to replay in my mind, and they continue to shape my daily life."
The statement continued: "What he has done to me has changed my life in ways that cannot be undone. He has taken my sense of safety, my peace of mind, my confidence, and my ability to trust. I am left trying to rebuild a life that no longer feels like my own."
Charges and sentencing
Woodall pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm; stalking involving fear of violence; sharing a photograph of a person in an intimate state; and perverting the course of justice. The court sentenced him to 45 months imprisonment and imposed a 10-year restraining order to protect the victim.
