A MAN has been jailed after a court heard a woman suffered serious psychological damage due to his coercive behaviour and harassment.

Aaron Roberts, 31, from Pwllheli, was jailed for three years at Caernarfon Crown Court today (December 7).

Prosecuting, Richard Edwards told the court of how Roberts even told his ex-partner what colour her hair should be during their "volatile and toxic" relationship.

He isolated his victim from friends and family, and threatened to post intimate photographs of her taken in secret online.

Roberts also threatened to kill himself in order to get his own way, would tell her what to wear, and would constantly check her mobile phone.

He sent abusive and derogatory messages across multiple platforms after the relationship ended.

READ MORE:

Holyhead women fined after boarding train without ticket

Investigation underway as four people are arrested on Anglesey

In a victim statement, she told of “not feeling able to breathe” and felt isolated, on edge, and anxious.

She rarely saw friends and family, and didn’t realise how much he’d impacted her until she was free from him.

Her confidence was dented, with her family also noticing a downturn in her mental health.

She also suffers flashbacks, auditory hallucinations and panic attacks, and avoids Pwllheli.

She now feels able to “breathe again”, and despite suffering bouts of depression and anxiety and still being on edge, her confidence was said to be returning.

Roberts had 21 previous convictions from 29 offences, including a breach of a restraining order against a former partner in 2016.

Defending, Dafydd Roberts conceded “custody of some length” was inevitable for Roberts who, he said, used drugs as a “coping mechanism for his own difficulties”.

He took some positives from Roberts’ progress report since being remanded in custody, saying that “compliance was sporadic, but better than on previous orders”.

He added: “He now realises he has got to find another coping mechanism for his own difficulties (than drugs) and use his time constructively, so that when he’s released from this sentence, he doesn’t fall back into his own ways.”

Sentencing, Judge Nicola Saffman said Roberts will be released on licence after serving half of his three-year sentence.

She also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of any device upon which the aforementioned images are stored, with police directed to seize it and then confirm that such action was taken.

Roberts received a 10-year restraining order.

He is also not to refer to her, directly or indirectly, in any social media post.

A £170 victim surcharge is to be paid within three months of his release from custody.

She said: “You controlled and coerced a person with whom you were in an intimate relationship, and you harassed her.

“Within your relationship, you were abusive verbally, aggressive, kept her away from her family, isolated her, and kept and controlled her phone.

“The impact upon her has been significant. She still suffers from psychological problems; so much so that she now suffers from auditory hallucinations.

“This is a serious mental disorder, caused by your actions and your actions alone.”