A man has appeared in court and admitted having criminal control over a woman by restricting access to family and friends, and threatening her with a knife.
Liam Swayne, 32, pleaded guilty to a total of eight offences which were committed during a period of almost nine months in 2023.
One charge admitted by Swayne was that of using controlling or coercive behaviour which had a substantial adverse impact on the woman’s day-to-day activities.
Court papers show he did so by restricting her access to family and friends, causing her to be isolated, during a period of around five months.
Swayne admired assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm; twice damaging mobile phones belonging to the woman; threatening her with a knife at a north Cumbria address; intimidating her by threatening to publish personal photographs; and twice disclosing private images.
After Swayne pleaded not guilty to allegations of assault by beating and also false imprisonment, the prosecution offered no evidence and verdicts of not guilty were directed by a judge on those two charges.
Recorder Julian Shaw adjourned the case for preparation of a probation service pre-sentence report. The court heard Swayne’s legal team was also planning to source a psychiatric report to give the sentencing judge as full a picture as possible of his background and personal circumstances.
Swayne, of Woodfield Road, Blackpool, is due to receive his punishment at the crown court on April 2, and was told that all options — including a term of custody — would be considered. In the meantime, Recorder Shaw directed that the defendant should remain remained in custody.
