St Leonards man sentenced for coercive and controlling behaviour

A St Leonards man who subjected a woman to coercive and controlling behaviour has been convicted at court.

Joshua Grinham, 26, of Georgian Walk in St Leonards, sought to control and manipulate his victim – a woman in her 30s – over several months.

Between January and August, 2023, Grinham used threats and intimidation to influence her social life and control her behaviour.

When his victim tried to cut contact, Grinham’s behaviour became fixated and he appeared at her home unannounced to threaten her.

She reported the abuse to Sussex Police and Grinham was arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of assault and one count each of common assault and engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour.

At Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, 6 February, Grinham pleaded guilty to engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour. The other charges were ordered to lie on file.

He was sentenced during the same hearing to one year in prison, suspended for two years, given a restraining order to protect his victim from further harm, ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and complete an accredited rehabilitation programme.

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, there are a range of discreet reporting mechanisms available. For more information, visit Advice about domestic abuse | Sussex Police