Control freak thug jailed for 18-month reign of domestic abuse terror

Manchester Crown Court heard that Luke Coleman's victim was injured on multiple times by the control freak, who also threatened her, took and spent her money, restricted her bank card, mobile phone use and social media use and even forced her to take a lie detector test to prove she wasn't cheating on him.

The Wigan 28-year-old , who has formerly lived in both Norley and Leigh, and more recently of Valley View, Chorley, had initially faced six charges, comprising four counts of causing actual bodily harm, one of sexual assault by penetration and one of coercive and controlling behaviour.

He had initially denied everything but on the first day of his trial, he pleaded guilty to three of the assaults and the controlling behaviour and the judge ruled that the other two offences would then lie on file.

He has now been sent to prison for 43 months from which 49 days spent on electronically-tagged curfew will be deducted.

The court heard that Coleman's reign of terror lasted from October 2020 to April 2022 during which time the three assaults to which he confessed involved the victim suffering a head injury, a wound to her ear and a dislocated finger.

His controlling and coercive behaviour over that period was broken down into 10 parts:

He used or threatened to use physical violence towards her.

Threatened to use physical violence towards her family.

Threatened to damage her family’s property.

Was verbally abusive towards her, called her offensive names and accused her of being unfaithful.

Would continuously call her and send her large volumes of messages.

Monitored her whereabouts by making her film her surroundings during video calls to prove she was where she said she was.

Would take and use her money.

Restricted her access to her bank card and her mobile phone by carrying her belongings on his person.

Restricted her access to her friends on social media, specifically Facebook.

Made her participate in a polygraph examination to prove that she was not being unfaithful.

Coleman already had a grim criminal record which includes being jailed for three years and two months in 2018 for threatening to stab a Marsh Green shop assistant during a robbery and hitting a man over the head with a plank of wood during a brawl on Wigan's King Street.