A Brighton man has been jailed after he sexually assaulted, stalked and coercively controlled a woman in Hove over a number of years.
Jamie Linton, 27, formerly of Kensington Street, Brighton, and previously of High Street, Brighton, subjected his victim to repeated intimidating and controlling behaviour from 2017 until last year.
During his trial over 12 days at Brighton Crown Court, Natasha Dardashti, prosecuting, said: “This was a long campaign of offending … (His victim) was subject to physical and emotional abuse.”
Linton was jailed for three and a half years for drug dealing in 2019 but the abuse continued after his release in October 2020.
Miss Dardashti said that Linton would threaten to harm both the victim and himself if she reported the abuse to police.
She said that he also manipulated her into lending him money and carrying out domestic chores such as cooking and cleaning.
He built up drug debts and got his victim to pay them, the court was told. He even accessed her bank account without permission and moved money out of it.
Linton would try to control who she spoke to and became aggressive about harmless interactions such as a man adding her on social media.
And after his victim tried to cut contact with him, he sexually assaulted her.
He kept stalking her by turning up at her home unannounced, following her on the school run and contacting her family – even threatening to send them intimate photos that he had taken of her.
His behaviour twice breached a non-molestation order obtained by the victim and his stalking left her in fear of violence.
Today (Friday 23 February), at a sentencing hearing, Rachel Beckett, prosecuting, read two victim impact statements – one of them given after the victim gave evidence at Brighton Crown Court over three days last month.
The victim, whose identity is protected by law, said that Linton had tried to isolate her from her friends and family and his behaviour had left her suffering from stress and anxiety.
She was prescribed antidepressant for a few months and said: “In the past year, I had to change my phone number three times. I had to delete all my social media at one point.
“I had to stay in a hotel out of Brighton for a few weeks because I was too scared to stay in my own home (and now) I’m actively looking to move out of Brighton because I don’t think I could feel safe here ever again.”
She said that she was worried about bumping into Linton or his associates and had taken extra security measures at her home but still did not feel safe.
After giving evidence during the trial, she said: “It was the toughest, most humiliating and mentally draining thing that I’ve ever had to go through.”
She spoke about having to relive Linton’s “mind games and manipulation” which left her “living in fear and paranoia” and she added: “The constant hateful things that he would say to me have made me lose my confidence and self-worth.”
She referred to his breaches of two court orders – referred to as non-molestation orders – and said: “He has no regard for authority. He is a monster who seems to get enjoyment from the power he had over me.”
At Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday 17 January, a jury found him not guilty of rape and assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH).
But he was convicted of sexual assault by penetration, engaging in coercive or controlling behaviour, stalking causing a fear of violence, threatening to disclose private photographs, witness intimidation and two counts of breaching a non-molestation order.
At Chichester today, the trial judge, Recorder David Brock, jailed Linton for five and a half years in total and imposed a 10-year restraining order.
He said that, although Linton was acquitted of assault causing ABH, he had assaulted his former partner.
Mr Recorder Brock told Linton: “Your criminal behaviour continues to have a marked effect on her wellbeing.”
He jailed Linton for three years for the sexual assault and two and a half years for his controlling and coercive behaviour to run consecutively.
He was given shorter sentences for the other offences – stalking, threatening to disclose private photographs, trying to intimidate a witness and the two breaches of a non-molestation order.
These were all to be served concurrently – or at the same time – as the sentence for coercive and controlling behaviour, making five and a half years in total. He has been in custody since last July.
Mr Recorder Brock said that the offences were so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.
After Linton was convicted at Brighton, Detective Constable Lenka Kovarikova said: “Jamie Linton’s victim has shown incredible bravery in supporting this investigation despite his attempts to intimidate her into disengaging.
“Thanks to her resolve, we have been able to bring him to justice.
“I hope this verdict gives confidence to other victims of physical and sexual abuse to report to police. We will believe you and we will do all we can to get you justice.”
So he was found not guilty of rape but guilty of sexual assault by penetration?! How are they not the same thing? He deserves to rot in jail for a lot longer than he will.