Controlling mother of six forced her boyfriend to wear a hat when he left the house after mocking him for ‘regressing’ his hairline

A controlling mother of six forced her boyfriend to wear a hat when he left the house after teasing him about his “regressing” hairline.

Sarah Rigby, 41, waged a horrific campaign of abuse against Gareth Jones after the pair met on Plenty of Fish.

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The nursing student drove him to the brink of suicide after repeatedly belittling and bullying him.

Rigby called the 40-year-old NHS manager fat and made him eat salads in a twisted attempt to make him lose weight.

She also forced him to wear a hat outside the house after convincing him he was going bald.

Rigby made Gareth swallow toothpaste after unfairly claiming he had bad breath, kept track of his £4,000-a-month salary, kicked him out of the house in his underwear and checked his mobile phone.

The mother-of-six admitted coercive behavior but avoided prison and was instead sentenced to a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Gareth bravely revealed how, even during the case, Rigby provoked him by turning up at Chester Crown Court with a £400 Marc Jacobs bag which he was forced to buy during a shopping trip to the Harrods.

He added: “Once the abuse started, the effect of being constantly belittled and abused left me on edge, feeling degraded and worthless.

“My image of myself became distorted and I had low self-esteem – I still feel that way to some extent.

“When she would say things like I had halitosis and make me drink half a bottle of Listerine or eat toothpaste, I started to believe there was something wrong with me.

“I was forced to wear a hat every time we went out together because she didn’t want to be seen with someone who was backing off and insisted she wanted me to have a hair transplant.

”I had regular bruises on my body from when Sarah used to kick, bite, scratch or scratch me. I was nervous to consult my GP afraid that she would find out and hit me even more.

“I no longer feel open to having a relationship, as I am still afraid of being abused again. I don’t feel like I can trust another woman right now.

“When I’m in public and I see someone with the same hairstyle and color as Sarah, I get scared.

“I also feel nervous about telling people what happened to me because of the stigma behind men not being seen as victims of domestic violence.

”I think I will always be emotionally scarred by the effects of the abuse I suffered.”

The court heard how the couple reunited in 2021 after meeting on Plenty of Fish.

Gareth moved in with Rigby soon after, but she soon became controlling and told him he needed to lose weight if they wanted to stay in a relationship.

His mother restricted what he ate, teased him about his sexual performance, and “searched” him before leaving the house.

If she was leaving, Rigby would make Gareth wander the streets until she returned and regularly label him ‘fat’, ‘lazy’, ‘sweaty’, ‘a whale’, ‘stupid’, ‘thick’, ‘stinky’ and a “ puppy”.

She also kept control of his finances, made sure he to sleep on the floor as “punishment”, banned him from using the bathroom at home and made false allegations that he had assaulted her.

On one occasion, Rigby told him, “If I’m not pregnant this month, I’m going to find someone else to have sex with and get pregnant. I need to get pregnant this month. If not, I’m going to dump you.

The evil nursing student also physically abused Gareth and left him with a scar on his nose after hitting him with a glass candlestick.

Rigby, who only let Gareth shower every few days, scratched his face and threatened to beat him.

The ordeal came to an end in March 2022 when brave Gareth contacted the police.

During her police interview, Rigby falsely claimed that the victim had been violent, coercive, controlling and manipulative towards her.

In addition to a suspended prison sentence, she was also placed under a five-year restraining order.

Sentencing, Mr Recorder Eric Lamb said: “Your conduct led to a substantial detrimental effect on Mr Jones, who even today, when speaking of the impact of the relationship on him, was clearly on the verge of tears and in great distress.

“There were various methods of control or coercive behavior designed to humiliate and degrade him.”

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans free on 116123.

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