PETERBOROUGH MAN JAILED FOR COERCIVE CONTROL AND ASSAULT
A man from Peterborough, Murtaza Syed, aged 47, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for coercively controlling a woman over a period of two years.The court heard that Syed subjected her to mental and physical abuse, including preventing her from leaving her home alone and making her undergo a lie detector test, which she passed.
He enforced humiliating rules, such as not allowing her to shut the bathroom door and examining her body for signs of adultery.
Police were first called on the morning of 23 February when the woman disclosed the abuse.
She detailed recent assaults, including an incident where he threw a lighter at her eye and punched her repeatedly.
Syed denied all allegations initially but later pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behavior and causing actual bodily harm.
The court also imposed an indefinite restraining order to prevent contact.
Detective Sergeant Louis Scott emphasized that domestic abuse is not solely physical and can include threats, intimidation, and monitoring, which are criminal offences.
He urged victims to seek help and call the national domestic violence helpline.
Syed's sentencing highlights the seriousness with which such offences are treated.
