The man details that his ex-girlfriend isolated him from her home, took control of his budget, his weight loss diet, made him sleep on the floor and never allowed him to shower, shave and even use the bathroom at the condominium – before which he finally reached out to his mother.
A person reports alleged abuse he suffered at the hands of an ex-girlfriend after losing 60 kilos in two months and being sentenced to twenty months in prison. A United Kingdom, ok. police consultant called it “the worst case of controlling and coercive habits I have ever seen.”
Things seemed to be going well for Gareth Jones and Sarah Rigby, both 41, when they met online in July 2021. “I think they call it love bombing,” Jones said. the BBC in a new interview about those early days. “I feel like it surprises you… you think this could actually be the one, and this could work.”
WTXF
After leaving gunshot victim at hospital, driver runs over three nurses at high speed to help: Police
See story
Detailing alleged abuse
Things quickly started to change, though, with Jones telling the outlet that within four months (of their entire nine-month relationship) she inspired him to come into her house and move out of her apartment.
THE Cheshire Police famous in a press release that she charged him the rent for the house – plus the back rent for the last time he stayed there – despite it being her father’s property, and made him put all his personal belongings in storage. He paid £700 a month rent and all payments.
From there, Rigby allegedly began isolating Jones from his family and household and began setting strict rules for him in the family, including dictating his personal habits, including bathing, shaving, and even using the bathroom – all of which she prohibited. at home, according to police.
Police also reported that when he left the house, Rigby would search Jones to make sure he “wasn’t taking something she didn’t approve of.” He was allegedly not allowed to be home alone, despite working from home, and was in no way given a key to the house.
ABC Information
Head and fingers present in donated freezer belong to unreported missing teenager from 2005: Police
See story
“If she wanted to leave, I had to leave, even when I was trying to work,” he said.
“She made me sleep on the floor, without a cover, if things weren’t happening to her, as punishment,” Jones told the BBC, with police adding that she would also leave the windows open.
He said she also verbally abused him, calling him things like “fat, ugly and disgusting,” according to police.
And then there was his alleged control over his weight loss program. She took control of what he was and was not allowed to eat, according to Jones, who claimed Rigby would physically abuse him, including biting, kicking and scratching him, if he didn’t follow her “strict” orders.
All of this led to Jones losing 62 pounds in just two months, according to the BBC.
Jones detailed an alleged affair for the outlet, which was a shopping outing that became a requirement. “She scratched my sweater, my arm was bleeding profusely, until she pressured me into buying her something expensive,” he told the BBC.
In order to stop him from calling for help, Rigby allegedly told Jones that if he told anyone about what was going on between them, she would tell police that he assaulted her.
Essex Police
Essex woman calmly confesses to murdering parents after living with hidden bodies for years
See story
Lifeline for assistance
Jones said he granted almost all of her requests, but a lifeline for his mother, which he never cut, proved his salvation.
He said he would still talk to his mother, deleting the messages so Rigby wouldn’t know as she repeatedly accessed his phone and allegedly told him he didn’t need to affiliate with anyone else because “you can be with me now.”
Then, five months after moving in with Rigby, Jones slipped out to meet his mother for coffee, where she “broke down in front of me,” he told the BBC. It was then that he decided.
“I thought, ‘I can’t put my family at risk anymore,’” he told the outlet. “They’re begging me to leave.”
In March 2022, he contacted the ManKind Initiative, a UK organization. group focused on male victims of domestic violence, and with their help, he was able to leave his situation with “just the clothes on his back.”
He said he started over, rebuilding his sense of self, his relationships and his budget, with the help of therapy. He also finally contacted the police.
Bourbon County Detention Heart
Police find dismembered woman, body parts ‘cooked’ in hot pan inside Kentucky home
See story
Responsible without regret
In May 2024, Rigby pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behavior and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, for the alleged abuse of Jones. He also granted her a five-year restraining order, while she was told she must also complete 35 days of rehabilitation.
After his sentencing, Cheshire Police Detective Sophie Ward called the scenario “the worst case of controlling and coercive habits I have ever seen.”
The detective noted that even after preliminary charges were imposed on Rigby, she “continued to insult her victim, refusing to return her belongings and consistently delaying the trial by failing to inform the court of holidays and appointments.”
She noted that although Rigby “ultimately” pleaded responsible, “she has not demonstrated any regret for her actions.”
“While the victim will never be able to forget what happened to him,” Ward added, “I hope the conclusion of this case helps him move forward and begin to rebuild his life.”
Jones hopes that by speaking out he can combat the stigma surrounding men who speak out about abuse and make it easier for other men to come forward and find help.
KHOU/Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace
Mother confesses that she abandoned three children with a dead brother to be with the man who killed him: authorities
See story