Jailed: Whitchurch domestic abuser who took over woman's homeless accommodation
A Whitchurch domestic abuser who moved himself into his former partner’s homeless accommodation and caused her such distress by his controlling and coercive behaviour that she reverted back to alcoholism, has been jailed for nearly two years.
William Varey of Church Street, Ightfield in Whitchurch also assaulted his former partner and stole jewellery from her, a court heard on Tuesday.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that 46-year-old Varey had moved himself into the homeless accommodation where his victim lived on the day he was released from prison after confessing his love for her.
Rosemary Proctor prosecuting said after his release from custody on August 26 last year, Varey went straight to a tanning salon where he knew his victim frequented.
After telling her he loved her, Varey moved himself into her Oswestry home, which had been provided to her by the Single Homeless Accommodation Programme.
Ms Proctor told the court that Varey took the woman’s keys from her and prevented her from leaving the property. He also stopped her from seeing her domestic abuse support worker.
The prosecuting barrister added that during this time, both the domestic abuse advisor and the victim's sister noticed changes in her personality.
Ms Proctor said they reported she was “nervous” and the former alcoholic told her support worker that she had drunk two bottles of vodka on a night.
She said that during a video call with her sister on September 11, Varey’s victim told her sister she had locked him out of the property.
“Her sister told her not to go outside, but she decided to go and walk the dog,” Ms Proctor said. “Her sister could hear Varey’s voice, which she recognised before. She heard her sister say ‘Get off me William, you are hurting me!’.”
Ms Proctor said it was during this time, Varey had snatched a phone from his victim and broke it on his knee. He also took a ring and bracelet from her after biting her hand.
Police were called and Varey was arrested.
Varey admitted a charge of controlling and coercive behaviour, theft of the ring and bracelet, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage on the day of his trial earlier this year.
The court heard that during her relationship with Varey, this victim had left her alcohol detoxification programme and was left “distressed” and wanting to move from her home.
In sentencing Varey, Judge Deni Mathews said the most serious offence had been the controlling and coercive behaviour against the woman.
He told Varey, who had 11 previous convictions to his name: “You in effect imposed yourself in her home. You took away her door key so she could not get out of the property and proceeded in your controlling and coercive behaviour.
“You kept her in the house and you treated it as your own.”
The judge continued: “The impact of your behaviour is that she describes numerous incidents of you pushing and shoving her. She came to a point where she wanted to leave her home.
“And she had been in the process of addressing alcohol misuse and your coercive and controlling behaviour undermined the progress she was making.
"You also stopped her from seeing her support worker that also aggravates the offence."
He added: “In my judgement that was very serious distress that had a substantial effect on her.”
He jailed Varey for 23 months and added that the "high risk" Varey posed meant that he could not suspend the term and it would be an immediate custodial sentence.
The judge also imposed a restraining order banning Varey from contacting his victim.
