Lancashire man jailed for controlling and abusing woman
He's been sentenced to eight years in prison
A Lancashire man who unleashed what an officer is calling "a sustained campaign of abhorrent behaviour" against a woman has been jailed.
39-year-old Daniel Halstead has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of:
- engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour
- non-fatal strangulation
- two counts of assault by beating
- and two counts of making threats to kill
The court heard how Halstead would assault the victim, threaten her and verbally assault her.
He would send her messages saying he was waiting outside her house or watching her.
Halstead once even swung a punch at the victim's mother after squaring up to the victim at her son's football match.
"I am not the person that I used to be"
In a statement to the court, the victim wrote: “Emotionally I am suffering a lot from finally finding the courage to report the abuse that I have been suffering for years.
"At the moment, I feel that I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder and worry about when Danny will next arrive at my home address or the constant phone calls and messages to check on my whereabouts and movements. I am still a nervous wreck, I am not eating, I am now managing to sleep at night because I feel safe in knowing that he is currently away from me in prison.
“I recently attended my local GP for help and they have diagnosed me with severe anxiety and depression and I am now medicated to help with this.”
She continued: “I know that this has made me ill, I am not the person that I used to be, I found myself as a person again when he went to prison. Simple things from spending time with family and friends and not having to explain my actions and what time I would be home.”