'I feel nervous about telling people what has happened to me due to the stigma behind males not being seen as victims of domestic abuse'
A male victim who suffered at the hands of his controlling ex-girlfriend has spoken about the terror she inflicted on him for over six months. Student nurse Sarah Rigby, 41, bullied, belittled and harassed her former partner, Gareth Jones, to the point he lost four stone in weight, became isolated from friends and family and was driven to the brink of suicide.
When Rigby's children became the subject of family court proceedings involving her ex-partner, she made Mr Jones pay for a £3,000 expert report and file a false witness statement supporting her plea to get custody. During one foul-mouthed tirade, Rigby told him: ''I may not control social services, but I can control you and I am loving it."
He was condemned to pound the streets or do his job from their local library, pub or supermarket café until she came home. On occasions he would have to work late into the night as he was made to do errands and jobs for Rigby during the day. ''I was forced to wear a hat every time we went out together because she didn't want to be seen with someone who was receding and kept on that she wanted me to have a hair transplant. l also felt degraded as Sarah used to try and intimidate me and ridicule my manhood regularly.
''I was constantly being watched and was not allowed to have any personal telephone conversation unless in Sarah's presence. My phone was also checked on a regular basis by Sarah and I had to provide my pass-code to her and passwords to email accounts so she could check anything at anytime. If I had contacted any friends or family I was controlled in what I was and wasn't allowed to say to them.
''She would restrict what Mr Jones ate when out and if he ate anything more substantial than a salad would be verbally abusive. ''She did not give him a key to her property and would not let him be in the house by himself. As a result, Mr Jones would have to leave the house and find public spaces in order to work, often at short notice, when she wanted to leave the house.
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