Man Jailed for 3 Years 5 Months in Domestic Abuse Case

Steven Farrell, a 50-year-old man from Openshaw in east Manchester, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison at Preston Crown Court for a prolonged campaign of controlling and coercive behavior, suffocation, and assault causing actual bodily harm against his girlfriend. The abuse, which included threats to kill and physical attacks, took place in the woman's home in Rossendale, east Lancashire, and left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The relationship began shortly after Farrell's release from prison in October 2024. Within months, he moved into the woman's home and exhibited signs of extreme jealousy, prosecutors told the court. He regularly consumed cocaine and insisted on accompanying her to and from work. Farrell frequently destroyed or confiscated her phone to isolate her, yet he used it to respond to messages from her concerned friends, the court heard.

The physical abuse escalated over time, with Farrell gagging the woman to prevent her from screaming during assaults. A particularly violent episode unfolded on April 25. After the woman declined to go clothes shopping with him, Farrell left to purchase cocaine and returned accusing her of infidelity....