Oguzhan Ozcan (Image: South Wales Police)
Last Updated: 38 seconds ago
A Merthyr taxi driver has been sent to prison after a judge ruled his “fragile ego” lay behind years of controlling, belittling and violent behaviour aimed at his long-term partner.
Sentencing
Oguzhan Ozcan, 41, was handed 21 months behind bars at Cardiff Crown Court after admitting engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour. The sentence included a 10% reduction to reflect his guilty plea, which was entered on the day his trial was due to begin. He will serve up to half of that term in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community. A five-year restraining order preventing any contact with his former partner was also imposed.
The pattern of abuse
Prosecutor Harry Baker told the court that over a 20-month period Ozcan monitored his partner’s movements, accused her of being unfaithful, demeaned her and used – or threatened to use – physical violence against her. A “pattern of behaviour developed” in the relationship, the prosecutor explained, with Ozcan picking arguments whenever his partner tried to arrange plans without him, in an attempt to make her cancel.
Assaults after nights out
On one occasion Ozcan struck his partner in the face following a night out in Cardiff, leaving her with a black eye. After she returned from a “girls weekend” in Liverpool, he kicked her to the legs. When her phone died during another night out and she was briefly out of contact, Ozcan was said to be “very angry” when he arrived to collect her – and then drove them home “like a lunatic”.
Text message accusation
The court heard Ozcan became enraged on a separate occasion after noticing his partner had received a text from a male cousin signed off with “xx”. He accused her of an affair with her own relative, began talking about suicide, and then punched her before directing belittling language at her.
Impact on the victim
In a statement read to the court, the woman said the abuse had significantly worsened her anxiety and forced her to seek help from her GP. She said she felt nervous every time a taxi drove past in case it was the defendant, and that she was frightened about what might happen once Ozcan was released, given how many people he knew within the Turkish community.
Defence
Matt Murphy, representing Ozcan, told the court his client accepted his conduct had been “unacceptable and wrong” and wished to apologise to his former partner. He said the father-of-two was keen to return to work as a taxi driver in due course.
Judge’s remarks
Judge Daniel Williams said it appeared Ozcan’s “fragile ego” simply could not tolerate the fact his partner of two decades wanted to go out and socialise with others. The judge concluded that the assaults, threats of violence, monitoring and belittling conduct carried out over the 20-month period were too serious to be met with anything other than immediate custody.
Ozcan, formerly of Gellifaelog Terrace, Penydarren, Merthyr, and now held at HMP Cardiff, has no previous convictions.
