‘I’m going to murder you’: Man pleads guilty under new coercive control law

A NSW man who locked his wife inside their home, told her “I’m going to murder you” and smashed her phone has become the first person to plead guilty under the controversial coercive control legislation.

The landmark case paves the way for policing abusive relationships.

A NSW man who told his wife “I’m going to murder you” has pleaded guilty to charges under new coercive control laws.Credit: AP

The woman walked into Leeton police station in the state’s Riverina region to report her husband on July 26, less than a month after the laws had been passed.

In tears, she told officers her husband controlled whether she could leave the home or talk on the phone, and she was not allowed access to money. He also made frequent and unfounded accusations that she was seeing other men.

The abuse had been going on for many years but was not taken seriously in her home country, where she detailed a long period of domestic violence including being hit over the head and chased with a knife and an axe.

The couple, who cannot be identified due to a suppression order protecting the victim’s identity, moved to the Riverina with their children last year.

After the family arrived in Leeton, the abuse intensified, the woman told investigators.

On one occasion, an argument ended with the man saying: “This is your last night. I’m going to murder you.”

The woman left the family home and went to the police station, but was too afraid to report her husband.

A fortnight later, the woman asked her husband if she could go to Woolworths to buy fruit for their children. He accused her of seeing other men. When her phone rang, he snatched it from her, alleging another man was contacting her, while a woman’s voice could be heard talking about outstanding bills.

That afternoon, she found her phone smashed on the ground outside. Her husband also demanded to know how she got inside, having locked her out and kicked her in the leg.

The following day, the man locked his wife inside the home, and she was unable to contact anyone.

That afternoon, the woman went to the police station, saying she had genuine concerns of being physically harmed or killed.

Her husband was arrested that day, becoming the first person in NSW to be charged with coercive control.

He was also charged with four other domestic violence offences. One of those charges was dropped, and he pleaded guilty to the other four. He remains on bail ahead of being sentenced in Griffith Local Court next month.

Coercive control carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment and is considered a red flag for intimate partner homicide.

Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna told the Herald the new laws had given police the power to look for a range of behaviours that “on their own may not have previously amounted to sufficiency for a domestic violence charge”.

“Now when someone comes in to report that their partner is behaving in a certain way, police straight away can recognise it might be a matter of coercive control and know to ask the appropriate questions,” he said.

McKenna said a domestic partner controlling clothing choices, monitoring social media, and restricting access to family, friends or money are all part of “that pattern of behaviour that still might place someone at risk of harm”.

“Police are no longer [just] looking for a black eye or a broken nose.”

NSW Police are undertaking dozens of investigations of alleged coercive control. The legislation came into force on July 1 this year, two years after it was tabled by the former Coalition government amid much controversy.

It was opposed by crossbench MPs, including upper house Greens member Abigail Boyd, who decried it as a “bad bill” that had failed to follow international best practice.

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said the government was committed to ending domestic violence.

“Coercive control in intimate partner relationships is criminal behaviour that will not be tolerated in NSW,” he said. “We are listening to victim-survivors and the sector, and we are committed to continue taking meaningful action against domestic and family violence.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual abuse or family violence contact: National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Counselling Service 24-hour helpline 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732

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