Appeal dismissed and convictions upheld for multiple offences including assault, rape, and coercive control following campaign of violence and intimidation

The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against both conviction and sentence from an individual who had been convicted by a jury in the Central Criminal Court on multiple counts, including assault causing harm, threats to kill or cause serious harm, false imprisonment, rape, and coercive control, arising from a six-week period of abusive and controlling behaviour towards the complainant. The appellant argued that the trial was unfair due to the admission of prejudicial evidence and failure to discharge the jury on two separate occasions, as well as the admission of evidence concerning the impact of the offences on the complainant. The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge was correct in all rulings: the state of mind evidence and impact evidence were both relevant and necessary, particularly in relation to coercive control, and the references objected to did not render the trial unfair. The original convictions and effective 18-year sentence (with the last year suspended) were upheld. The complainant's evidence included disturbing instances of surveillance, violence, threats, and repeated loss of autonomy, including an incident where the appellant hid overnight in the complainant's shed to monitor her. The verdicts were found to be safe, and the trial was conducted with scrupulous fairness.