Rochdale man jailed after abusing then-girlfriend

A Rochdale man has been jailed after being found guilty of section 47 assault and controlling and coercive behaviour.

Paul Thorburn, 38, has been sentenced to four years in jail and had an indefinite restraining order imposed upon him.

On Saturday 13 November, Greater Manchester Police received a number of domestic abuse disclosures from a woman in Rochdale.

After officers conducted initial enquiries, it was established that the victim had been involved in a domestically abusive relationship with the suspect. During the course of a year-long relationship, Thorburn subjected the victim to egregious physical, mental, and emotional abuse.

On one occasion after Thorburn had been drinking, after his partner had been given a lift home from work, he began to intrusively check her body to see if she had been intimate with someone else. This is something he went on to do on many other occasions.

On another occasion, he woke his partner up in the middle of the night to argue about a previous ex. He became increasingly violent towards her and gripped her by the throat. He covered her mouth and nose throughout the assault so she couldn’t scream or breathe.

The victim was put under such duress that she had to flee the apartment in a state of undress and seek the aid of a stranger, who phoned the police.

The court heard how the injuries she received from this assault left a footprint on her back.

In an attempt to capture the victim’s distress and to humiliate her at a later date, Thorburn videoed parts of this incident on his mobile phone where he was seen deliberately goading and mocking her. The distressing video was later used in evidence at trial, which saw members of the jury wince as they watched it.

Detective Constable Russ Clarke of GMP Rochdale division said: “I would firstly like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case and the strength she has shown throughout this investigation.

“Thorburn showed no remorse for his deplorable actions. Despite damning evidence, he took no responsibility, ensuring that the victim had to attend court and endure the traumatic act of reliving what he had done to her.

“Having violently attacked the victim, Thorburn set his phone to record in order to capture her distress. Despite recording, he couldn’t control himself and went on to commit further acts of violence whilst seeking to humiliate and degrade the victim.

“Some of the other behaviours displayed by Thorburn included, checking the victim’s phone, referring to her using derogatory names, controlling her finances and social media accounts, threatening to kill her or himself if she left him, threatening to disclose private photographs, and changing his job so he worked where she worked.

“The behaviours displayed by Thorburn within the relationship are deeply concerning and indicate he poses a significant risk to women with his need to control and coerce through violence and psychological abuse. This behaviour will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester, and anyone found behaving this way will be the subject of a thorough and rigorous investigation.”

“If you are a victim of domestic abuse, know someone who is or has been affected by domestic abuse or violence, we can support you. We would urge those who are being domestically abused in any form to contact us directly. GMP can also put you in touch with other support organisations that understand your specific needs. Do not suffer in silence, you are not alone.”

To report Domestic Abuse to Greater Manchester Police, please call 101 or report using the online reporting tool on the police website: www.gmp.police.uk

Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Below you’ll find a list of support organisations who can also support you:

Greater Manchester Domestic Abuse Helpline are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, except bank holidays. For anyone experiencing domestic abuse. Includes a language service and advice for the LGBT+ community.

End the Fear includes information on local help all over Greater Manchester.

Victim Support Free and confidential help to victims of crime, witnesses, their family and friends with 24-hour live chat and helpline available.

Women’s Aid Domestic Violence Helpline Free 24-hour national helpline run by Women’s Aid and Refuge.