By Sarah Rigby, a 41-year-old mother of six and student nurse, subjected her boyfriend, Gareth Jones, to a horrific campaign of abuse during their six-month relationship. Rigby bullied, belittled, and humiliated Jones, 40, an NHS project manager, over his weight, hair, sexual performance, and even his breath.
Under Rigby’s abusive regime, Jones was forced to eat salad, wear a hat, and consume toothpaste and mouthwash due to Rigby’s wrongful beliefs about his appearance and hygiene. She taunted him about his sexual performance and threatened to find someone else to have sex with if she didn’t become pregnant within a month.
At Chester Crown Court, Jones bravely shared how Rigby’s abuse drove him to the brink of suicide. Rigby admitted to coercive behavior and was handed a 20-month suspended jail sentence and a five-year restraining order.
Jones endured daily humiliation, with Rigby “frisking” him before he left the house and condemning him to work from public spaces until she returned home. She controlled his £4,000 monthly wage and demanded access to his mobile phone. Jones even resorted to giving his mother a “duress code” to indicate when it was safe to speak without Rigby listening in.
During one incident, Rigby hit Jones in the face with a glass candle holder, leaving him with a scar across his nose. She also threw him out of her house dressed only in his underwear and called him degrading names during temper tantrums.
Jones, who met Rigby on Plenty of Fish, accused her of showing “contempt” for him by flaunting a £400 Marc Jacobs shoulder bag he was forced to buy her during a shopping trip to Harrods.
The abuse left Jones feeling nervous, degraded, and worthless, with a distorted self-image and low self-esteem. He became paranoid about food and hid basic hygiene items in his work briefcase in case Rigby kicked him out. His relationships with friends and family became strained due to Rigby’s isolation tactics.
After leaving Rigby, Jones experienced extreme stress and fear of reprisals. He feels emotionally scarred and unable to trust women or pursue relationships. The stigma surrounding male victims of domestic abuse adds to his distress.
The court heard that Rigby restricted Jones’ eating habits, verbally abused him, and denied him basic amenities like toilet access and regular showers. She falsely accused him of breaking her ribs and demanded compensation, threatening to report him to the police if he didn’t pay.
Rigby was diagnosed with PTSD due to an undisclosed childhood trauma, but the judge emphasized the substantial detrimental effect her conduct had on Jones.
Cheshire Constabulary’s DC Sophie Ward praised Jones’ courage and described the case as the worst controlling and coercive behavior she had ever seen. Rigby showed no remorse for her actions and continued to taunt Jones even after being charged.
DC Ward emphasized that men can also be victims of controlling and coercive behavior and encouraged victims to speak out and seek help.
Dailymail.com
