Man jailed for abusing two girlfriends in Lancashire
Karl Atkinson has been sentenced to six-and-a-half-years in jail
Last updated 24th Dec 2025
A man has been sentenced to six-and-a-half-years in prison after abusing two women he was in relationships with.
34-year-old Karl Atkinson was sentenced at Preston Crown Court last Wednesday (17th December).
The court had previously heard how in one relationship, Atkinson demanded money off his girlfriend to fund his cocaine and alcohol use, and pay off his debts.
He isolated her from her family and friends and accused her of cheating, giving her no privacy on her phone.
He was physically abusive too, hitting her in the face once whilst she was holding her child.
Atkinson strangled her to the point she thought she was going to die.
They separated and Atkinson got into another relationship.
The second victim was subjected to similar abuse.
She too was accused of cheating, assaulted her on a daily basis, and isolated from her family and friends.
He was found guilty of:
- two counts of engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour
- an unrelated affray and possession of a bladed article (from an incident in January 2024)
Victim impact statements
In an impact statement to the court, the first victim wrote: “I am praying that in time I recover from this ordeal and find a way to move forward with my life. Atkinson is not the first man to treat me badly and subject me to abuse but one thing that I have made sure of is that he will be the last – this process has at least shown me that I deserve better and it is better to be alone than in a relationship with an abuser.”
The second victim wrote: “Once I started to speak about what had happened I realised just how much I had been through. I was naïve and afraid and when I look back these were some of the very reasons that I believe Atkinson chose me. A single Mum with my own home and someone who was desperate to be loved and have someone to share life with. He preyed on all of this and used it to his advantage. I can see now that all that he wanted was somewhere to live free of charge and money for drugs and alcohol. The Karl I first met who was charming and kind cannot be the true person, it is a way to get himself where he needs to be and then the real Karl shows himself. It is most definitely made worse by the alcohol and drug taking and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“Atkinson’s behaviour towards me has had a huge impact on me emotionally. I was broken when he finally left and very low. I relied heavily on my parents and friends to pick me back up and find some confidence to go about my daily life again. I had never been in a situation like it before in my life and I hope that I never find myself there again. I had lived in fear for months and felt that I was treading on eggshells in my own home. I was constantly fearful that he would take his own life or hurt me.”