Controlling dad spied on and beat up ex over 'new man'

Charles Bayliss left his partner, who is now with someone else, 'sick with dread' after he stopped her seeing family and even timed how long she was at the shops.

The 40-year-old of Worcester Road, Malvern had already admitted controlling and coercive behaviour and battery when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday. However, he was spared jail because of his significant mental health issues and his vulnerability due to a heart operation earlier this year, particularly in an environment where he may be exposed to Covid-19.

Bayliss and his partner had been in a relationship for five and a half years. Rebecca Da Silva, prosecuting, said: "During this time there had been a pattern of acts of physical and emotional abuse and threats designed to frighten and control the complainant. The defendant purchased and placed a hidden camera within a USB stick within their property at the start of the relationship in order to spy on the complainant."

He also used items to barricade her in a room and was described as pushing her away from her own family and friends, warning her there would be consequences if she saw them when he did not want her to.

Bayliss also called her stupid and criticised her parenting skills in front of their children, telling her she would never survive on her own. The defendant would also take her phone and house key.

"She was exhausted all the time, feeling 'sick with dread' in her words and like she was walking on egg shells," said Miss Da Silva.

He also insisted she get up in the night to feed the baby when he had promised to do it, telling her: "If you don't go downstairs I will punch you in the face."

The complainant described herself as being overpowered by Bayliss and never allowed to express emotion. She said: "I don't feel like I have a personality. He treats me like a child. My mind doesn't seem to function properly. I wish I wasn't here."

He would also control her access to the family iPad, 'demanding she asked permission to use it'. Further to this he asked for a detailed account of her plans for the day and restricted her use of social media, telling her he did this because he did not trust her.

"As a result of this she felt compelled to delete her social media accounts" said the prosecutor.

He restricted her to 10 minutes at the shops and she was told she was not allowed to speak to anyone. On one occasion she was gone 11 minutes which 'angered the defendant'.

"He said if she did not kill herself, he would do it for her. He asked her how she would like to die, if they should go upstairs and do it in the bath so it looked like she had killed herself," said Miss Da Silva.

Bayliss also pointed a bread knife at her during an incident on June 28 this year when he discovered she had been seeing another man when he was recovering from heart valve surgery.

However, he put it down, stepped back before lunging at her, striking her twice to the left eye. While she was on the floor he kicked her in the head. The complainant left post-it notes behind a picture which catalogued her ordeal at his hands. The defendant had deleted notes from her phone.

Sam Lamsdale, defending, said her client had complex PTSD following childhood trauma and was admitted to A&E in September following a mental health episode.

There have also been suicide attempts, she said. She added: "He has expressed remorse and regret."

Judge Nicolas Cartwright described the defendant's behaviour as 'truly dreadful for a very long time'.

Telling him he had escaped immediate custody by a whisker, the Bayliss was sentenced to 22 months in prison suspended for two years. He was also placed on a nine month curfew between 7pm and 7am and ordered to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days. "You missed custody by an absolute whisker" said the judge.

The judge also made a restraining order for four years which prohibits contact with his ex or attending her address in Upton or any property he knows her to be living at.