Haverhill man jailed after admitting to rape and coercive behaviour
Nathan Staples was given a prison sentence of ten and a half years
A man has been sentenced to ten and a half years in prison for raping a woman, as well as exhibiting coercive and controlling behaviour.
Nathan Staples was given the sentence at a hearing at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday (September 25th) in connection with a relationship he had with a former partner.
During the case, the court heard how Staples and the victim had gotten into the relationship which soon saw Staples demand where she had been.
Suffolk Police said that Staples would require his partner to Facetime him with people she was with, as well as making her share her location so he could track her movements.
On top of this, Staples would call and message the victim constantly while she was out, asking her to take photos of her surroundings.
He would also demand to look through the victim's phone and would often fight her in order to access the phone when she refused. To add to this, she was also subject to a number of rapes and sexual assaults against her will.
Staples was eventually arrested in November 2024 and subsequently charged and brought into police custody.
Appearing before Peterborough Crown Court, Nathan Staples pleaded guilty to charges of rape, sexual assault by penetration and controlling and coercive behaviour. He was also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order as well as his jail sentence.
Speaking on the case, Detective Constable Sam Flatt from Suffolk Police paid tribute to the victim to come forward in helping to raise awareness of the case.
"This is a truly horrific case where the victim was subject to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse over a period of only a few months from first meeting Staples," Flatt said.
"For those experiencing controlling and coercive behaviour it has a significant adverse impact on the victim’s quality of life, isolating them from their friends and family and making them feel trapped."