Pontypool man jailed for coercive control of girlfriend

A former soldier who terrorised his girlfriend through five years of relentless abuse has been sent to prison for 16 months.

Luke Groves, 32, from Abersychan in Pontypool, controlled and degraded his partner through violence, threats and humiliation between January 2019 and June 2024. Cardiff Crown Court heard how he squeezed her throat, mistreated her pets, and tried to stop her going to work.

Judge Paul Thomas KC delivered a scathing assessment before sentencing, calling Groves an “inadequate man-child”.

Birthday threats and physical violence

Prosecutor Alice Sykes told the court about one particularly disturbing incident: “On the occasion of her birthday, the complainant went to the pub with her friends. The defendant texted her, calling her a s**g and threatened to plough into the pub and put her on the bonnet.”

The court heard Groves squeezed his girlfriend’s throat for 15 to 20 seconds during one attack. He also chased her up the stairs of their home while throwing slippers at her.

Shortly after she gave birth to their child, Groves posted online that she looked “terrible”.

Lasting psychological damage 💔

Miss Sykes explained the calculated nature of the abuse: “This was behaviour with an intention to humiliate and degrade her. In her victim impact statement, she talks about how he has destroyed her self-esteem. She says that she hates herself and feels insignificant and she suffers from anxiety and panic attacks.”

The victim also described how Groves took drugs and would “associate with awful people”.

Sentencing

Groves pleaded guilty to engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship. He has one previous conviction for drug driving from 2020.

His barrister Joshua Scouller told the court the ex-soldier has “expressed remorse and regret” for his actions.

Judge Thomas didn’t hold back in his remarks: “Over a five-year period, your behaviour towards that lady was simply disgusting. The legal definition for it is controlling and coercive behaviour. Another way of putting it, is that this was the behaviour of an inadequate man-child, in more common parlance.”

Due to time already served in custody, Groves is expected to be released on licence imminently. He’s been handed a four-year restraining order preventing contact with his ex-girlfriend and must pay a statutory victim surcharge.