20 month prison sentence for controlling and coercive man

A 61-year-old man has yesterday (16 November) been sentenced to 20 months in prison for controlling and coercive behaviour and breach of a restraining order.

Nigel Cunningham, born 19/05/1962, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court after pleading guilty. The judge also gave him a ten-year restraining order.

The sentence comes after Cunningham subjected his victim to a month-long campaign of control and coercion, bombarding her with calls, text messages and emails after she told him to stop contacting her. He was also seen to drive past her home on multiple occasions and in another harrowing incident, he followed her in his car for five miles down the A3.

Cunningham also dropped flowers off at her house, and had multiple photo frames, collages and canvases of the victim. 

Investigations Officer, Chris Searle, said; “This is a great result that will hopefully give the victim some closure and demonstrate to perpetrators that this type of behaviour is not acceptable and will be treated seriously by Surrey Police.

“The victim was made to feel fearful in her own home, in her daily life and never knew when he might show up or get in contact. Cunningham was arrested the night we received the report, so if you are being controlled or harassed, please report it to us and we will listen.”