King's Lynn man admits controlling behaviour towards partner

A Lynn man faces sentencing at crown court for his conduct during a two-year relationship with a woman.

Shaun Bradley Cook admitted continuous controlling or coercive behaviour towards her.

Town magistrates heard on Thursday that he used violence, checked her phone daily, told her that she didn’t deserve children and that no one would ever love her.

Cook, 32, of Nelson Street, also stole the woman’s dog and her Apple computer after assaulting her on April 8, 2020.

Prosecutor Denise Holland said Cook’s behaviour towards his partner was characterised by “violent and verbal abuse and disrespectful behaviour”.

Mrs Holland described one occasion when the woman had hidden her phone and Cook had emptied her handbag trying to find it.

“He didn’t believe she had been at work,” said Mrs Holland. “He forcibly marched her downstairs and made various threats.

“She said he was usually intoxicated [during this type of behaviour] but on this occasion he was sober.”

Mrs Holland said the victim found it all “overwhelming” and now viewed her life in terms of before the abuse and afterwards.

At an earlier hearing Cook had pleaded guilty to controlling/coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship, theft and assault.

A pre-sentence report said it was “ingrained behaviour” by the defendant.

Hugh Cauthery, mitigating, said his client and the woman both checked each other’s phone and it was she who had chosen to renew the relationship after the theft and assault last year.

“You would have thought that had she been unhappy with the relationship she would have contacted an agency to help her bringing it to an end.

“I’m not here to attack this lady and [Cook] wouldn’t want me to, of course, but relationships are a two-way street.”

The case was committed to Norwich Crown Court for sentencing. Cook was given bail with conditions not to contact the victim and not to go to the street where she lives in Norwich.