BOYFRIEND STOPPED EX GOING TO WORK AND SPEAKING TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY
A woman became so overwhelmed by her abusive ex-boyfriend’s disturbing actions that she ceased attending her workplace and distanced herself from her family and friends.Shane Skerrett's six-month campaign of intimidation and control involved monitoring her activities, including checking her location via Google Maps, repeatedly accusing her of infidelity, and physically assaulting her by throwing furniture and punching her when she did not comply with his demands.
During a court hearing at Hull Crown Court, it was revealed that Skerrett, aged 31 and residing on Spring Bank, had once removed the SIM card from her phone, damaging the slot to prevent her from using it.
He also falsely accused her of having a sexual relationship with her employer.
As part of his coercive control, Skerrett employed threats of self-harm and suicide to manipulate her.
His jealous conduct caused her to delete her Facebook account and withdraw from her friends and family, fearing his upset and reactions.
Prosecutor Philip Standfast explained that the victim only recognized the extent of his controlling behavior in hindsight.
His actions began in June 2018 and culminated in a violent incident on Christmas Day, when he assaulted her.
Mr Standfast noted that Skerrett would sometimes instruct others to avoid making eye contact with her, telling them to 'put their eyes in the back of their heads.' He also recounted an incident where Skerrett, in a heated argument with a friend, was asked to calm down because his behavior was frightening her.
Instead, he retaliated by throwing a chair at her, saying he would 'show her what scary is.' "He was extremely jealous and controlled her life.
He accused her constantly of having sexual relations with friends and looked through her phone.
"A woman, her boss, would pick her up and take her to work and he would accuse her of having sex with her.
He would text her at work and if she didn't reply he would say she was having an affair.
Once she forgot to take her phone into a meeting and a colleague took her phone in and said there must have been an emergency as her phone wouldn't stop ringing.
"Things got so bad she stopped going to work which put her in a 'catch 22' and she became reliant on him to buy things and he would complain but didn't want her to go.
He would check Google Maps to see where she had been." Skerrett also limited the woman's contact with her mother, father and stepfather who said they noticed she had bruises and had not looked after herself.
Mr Standfast said: "On her birthday she went out with her dad and he didn't like it but he couldn't stop it.
"In November at her mum's she phoned a friend and he told her she had three seconds to get into the kitchen.
When she said 'no' he threw her into the house and caused her to fall on a shoe rack." Skerret's abuse also turned physical.
On one occasion the court heard Skerrett closed the windows in their flat, turned the music on and punched the woman in the face.
In July last year she even deleted her Facebook account and when he checked her emails and when he found she had an account with Booking.com accused her of having an affair.
During another assault, police were called by workers in a bookmakers in the flat below.
The court heard how an interaction with officers was caught on their bodycams and showed the woman wanting to speak with them privately.
When she told them what had happened, they entered the property to arrest Skerrett but he had allegedly been seen jumping from the first floor window.
Matters came to a head on Christmas Day 2018 after a savage assault saw him "throw her over a fence" and attack her.
Mr Standfast said: "On Christmas Eve after drinking and taking drugs he got angry when she called her mum and threatened to take his own life." The next morning, the drinking continued and he began to get aggressive.
Mr Standfast said: "They had lunch together and when he began to become aggressive the partner went to a man's house nearby to call the police.
She went back and pretended she didn't know anything as she had used a false name.
They heard sirens and the defendant said she was going with him and they got into a car driven by his sister.
"He then got out of the car and began kicking it and hit his sister.
He then turned his attention to his partner and began punching her.
"The attack was witnessed by someone who saw the defendant pick her up and throw her over the fence and saw him hit his sister and the defendant.
"There is also evidence form the complainants mum, dad and stepdad who indicate that over a period of time contact between them had been reduced drastically and they were aware of a change in her appearance as she had stopped caring for herself and they saw her on occasion with bruises." Mr Skerrett pleaded guilty on the day of trial, Monday, July 1, to one count of controlling and coercive behaviour, one count of assault by beating, and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He already had 16 convictions for 24 offences including affray, public order offences and breach of a non molestation order.
Mitigating for Skerrett, Mr Dale Brook said the relationship between the former couple is now over, and Skerrett has "no intention of going back" and that in a letter from his solicitor's office, had pleaded guilty to the charge of controlling and coercive behaviour in January this year.
He also said that during the time, he had been taking drugs, in particular, amphetamines.
He said: "It was a destructive relationship.
His guilty plea is an important factor, although on the day of trial she has been spared having to give evidence, it would have been unpleasant answering detailed questions about their relationship from that time.
The drugs had an impact on his mental health.
"His behaviour was erratic on Christmas Day and was pointing to self harm.
You can get an insight into his mental health and that is no excuse but may be an explanation for it.
"He's been in custody for several months and has been clean from drugs and this has made an impact on him.
He has a job as a painter and has good wing reports.
"This has given him an opportunity to improve himself.
He has an 11-year-old daughter and him being in prison is having an effect on that relationship but he appreciates allegations like these mean he has to try to rebuild that relationship with her and he is prepared to do that.
"He takes a realistic view that this is a serious matter." Judge Jack said Skerrett's behaviour during the six months was "appalling" and said he had "controlled every aspect" of his partner's life.
He said: "She was in fear of what would happen if she didn't comply and in addition to that you assaulted by beating and then you assaulted causing actual bodily harm on Christmas Day." Jailing him to a two-and-a-half years, Judge Jack said: "This was controlling and coercive behaviour over a period of time." Skerrett was also handed a restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-partner by any means.
