A vicious thug has been sentenced to over two years in prison for a horrific campaign of controlling and coercive behaviour against his victim over a three-year period. James Saxon, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, systematically stripped away his victim’s sense of self, monitoring her movements, isolating her from friends and family, and even locking her in a room, leaving her “living in fear”.
The court heard how Saxon’s drug use, including cocaine, cannabis, and steroids, fuelled his erratic and aggressive behaviour. Shocking CCTV footage captured him screaming at his victim and neighbours, at one point threatening: “You’re gonna lose your f***ing head.”
The victim, who bravely stood up to her abuser in court, described how Saxon’s controlling and coercive behaviour slowly took away her confidence, safety, independence, and peace of mind. She said she lived in constant fear of what he might do next, and that the stress, fear, and emotional abuse she suffered led to her losing a pregnancy.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: “His controlling and coercive behaviour slowly took away everything—my confidence, my safety, my independence, and my peace of mind. I lived in constant fear of what he might do next. What hurts the most is that during this time, I was pregnant. The stress, fear, and emotional abuse I suffered led to me losing that baby. That loss broke me.”
Despite the victim’s harrowing ordeal, police say Saxon “continued to display no care or remorse throughout his trial” and even “hysterically laughed at his victim” as she read her statement in court. Footage of his arrest and police interview shows him smirking and joking, with one officer describing his behaviour as “not ashamed” and saying “it doesn’t matter what I’ve said.”
Police Constable Elizabeth Andrews from Stockport’s Domestic Abuse Team said the case demonstrates the “devastating impact coercive and controlling behaviour can have on victims.” She urged anyone in a similar situation to report the behaviour, saying “nobody should live in fear.”
Saxon, 29, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, possession of an offensive weapon, and assault. He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison and given a five-year restraining order at Manchester Crown Court.
