South Wales Evening Post

‘Bully’ who kept his ex captive is sent to prison

- JASON EVANS @Evansthecr­ime • 01792 545549 jason.evans@mediawales.co.uk

A MAN beat up his former partner and effectivel­y held her prisoner for a week in a bid to get her to withdraw a complaint against him, a court has heard.

A judge described John Colin Rogers as a “bully” who needed to be taught a lesson.

Swansea Crown Court heard that on August 23 this year Rogers was arrested after apparently threatenin­g to set fire to an ex-partner’s car.

He was questioned by police and released under investigat­ion.

Dean Pulling, prosecutin­g, said that then, on September 3, the same victim came out of the Spar shop in Conway Road in Penlan to find 43-year-old Rogers standing next to her car.

The prosecutor said the woman “engaged” with Rogers because she did not want to antagonise him.

Rogers told the woman to drive him to his brother’s house in Morriston – which she did – and then took her handbag with him when he went inside the property, effectivel­y forcing the woman to follow him.

Mr Pulling said that for the next week Rogers would not let the woman out of his sight or let her go anywhere on her own.

On two occasions during those seven days he assaulted her – both by punching her in the face – and she eventually told police she wanted to withdraw the August complaint.

The court heard the woman managed to escape from Rogers following the second assault, which took place in her car.

After shouting at her and punching her, the defendant left the car and went into his brother’s house, giving his victim the opportunit­y to flee.

The prosecutor said the woman hid nearby and saw Rogers come back out of the house then get into the car, as he had kept the keys, and drive off in a bid to find her. Once he had left the area the woman was able to make her way to a friend’s house in the Hafod area and the alarm was raised.

Police launched a manhunt for Rogers and found him in Gendros.

His victim was left with bruising, swelling, and grazing to her face.

Rogers, of Heol Frank, Penlan, Swansea, admitted two counts of assault by beating, aggravated vehicle-taking, and witness intimidati­on.

The pleas came on the day he was due to stand trial, having denied the charges until that point.

The court heard he has 16 previous conviction­s for 43 offences including for inflicting actual bodily harm (ABH), affray, assault, dishonesty matters, possession of heroin, and taking vehicles without consent, as well as other motoring matters.

In 1999 he was convicted of two counts of ABH and sentenced to eight months in prison for his part in violent disorder at Hill End caravan park on Gower, while in 2008 he was jailed for kicking his way into a different expartner’s house and punching her in the face.

Lee Davies, for Rogers, said his client accepted the prosecutio­n case against him and understood the court would regard them as “worrying offences”.

The advocate added that Rogers had a longstandi­ng drug addiction.

Judge Geraint Walters said Rogers must have realised what he was doing was wrong – even in his “drug-crazed” state.

He said: “You subjected your former partner to an ordeal during which you managed her every move and beat her when she showed signs of non-compliance. You are nothing short of a bully.”

He told Rogers he had been lucky he had only been charged with common assault rather than anything more serious.

He added the offence of witness intimidati­on would always be treated seriously by a court because it “strikes at the very heart” of the justice system, and that Rogers “needs to be taught a lesson” regarding his behaviour.

Rogers was jailed for a total of 14 months.

Rogers was also made the subject of a restrainin­g order banning him from contacting his victim for the next five years.

Breaching this order carries a maximum fiveyear sentence.

 ??  ?? John Colin Rogers, from Penlan, Swansea.
John Colin Rogers, from Penlan, Swansea.
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom