A man who dragged a woman from a pub and threatened to pay someone to behead her has been jailed for nine months.
Threats and control over 12 days
Joe Martin, 28, from Melksham, Wiltshire, subjected the woman in her 20s to controlling and coercive behaviour between February 7 and 18, according to Wiltshire Police.
In one incident, Martin found the woman in a pub in Bath, Somerset, grabbed her, locked her in his car, snatched her phone, threatened to pay someone to behead her and told her he would deliberately crash the vehicle.
Arrest and conviction
Martin was arrested and charged after the woman contacted the police. He pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour on Monday, August 17, at Salisbury Crown Court.
Alongside the nine-month prison sentence, Martin will be subject to a five-year restraining order.
Police praise victim's bravery
A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "Martin's actions were absolutely awful and have caused significant stress and anxiety to the victim."
"I would like to commend her for her bravery and courage in reporting his behaviour to the police and seeing this through until conviction."
The spokesperson added: "I hope this sentence provides the victim with the time and space they need to process what happened and begin to heal."
Wiltshire Police said that targeting and reducing violence against women and girls is a priority for the force, which will always act robustly to bring domestic abuse perpetrators before the courts.
Support for abuse victims
Women can call the freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247. Men can call Respect Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244. Young people and children can call Childline on 0800 1111. If you need the police but are unable to talk because of your circumstances, you can dial 999 then press 55 instead of asking for the police.
