Joe Martin, aged 28, of Melksham, Wiltshire, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment at Salisbury Crown Court on Monday, 17 August 2026, after pleading guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour.
The court heard that between 7 and 18 February 2026, Martin carried out a campaign of intimidation against a woman in her 20s, causing her to fear that violence would be used against her.
During this period, Martin located the victim at a pub in Bath and attempted to remove her by grabbing her. He subsequently locked the victim inside his car, took her mobile phone to prevent her from contacting emergency services or seeking help, threatened to deliberately crash the vehicle they were travelling in, and threatened to pay someone to cut off her head.
Wiltshire Police arrested Martin, and he was remanded in custody prior to his court appearance.
Appearing before Salisbury Crown Court, Martin pleaded guilty to:
- One count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour
The presiding judge handed Martin a custodial sentence of nine months and imposed a five-year Restraining Order preventing him from contacting the victim.
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