Man jailed for years of coercive abuse in Tadworth
Sustained psychological abuse leads to three-year prison sentence
Last updated 2 hours ago
A 60-year-old man has been jailed for three years after subjecting a woman to over five years of coercive and controlling behaviour.
Janek Pasnicki, a Polish national residing in Tadworth, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Monday (3rd August) following a 10-day trial that took place in May.
Pasnicki restricted and monitored numerous aspects of the survivor's life, isolating her from friends and family, controlling her attire, and how she used social media.
He went as far as installing a video camera inside her home to surveil her and placed paper against doors to check whether she had left the address.
Pasnicki also exerted control over the survivor's finances, forcing her to give up work, resulting in her struggling and relying on food banks.
His behaviour extended to threats, insults, and emotional manipulation, especially when the survivor spoke to other men.
According to the court, he threatened to harm himself, forced the survivor to sign "contracts" following arguments, and dismissed his abusive actions as outcomes of her mental health.
Her Honour Judge Harden-Frost condemned his behaviour as one of the worst examples of coercive and controlling behaviour the court had ever seen.
The survivor reported the offences to police, leading to Pasnicki's arrest in 2023. He gave two no comment interviews during the investigation.
Detective Constable Natalie Stone, who led the investigation, praised the survivor's courage, stating that coercive and controlling behaviour is intended to strip an individual of their independence, confidence, and sense of safety.
She urged anyone experiencing such behaviour to come forward, promising support and investigation.