A husband subjected his wife to a "campaign" of abuse and controlling behaviour during their two decades together, a court has heard.
Jason Paul Aston routinely physically and verbally abused the woman and sought to control every aspect of her life from finances to contact with friends.
When his victim eventually went to police the defendant admitted much of what he had done and said that was how his father had treated his mother when he was growing up.
Swansea Crown Court heard Aston and his wife married in 1999 and set up home in Alltwen in the Swansea Valley.
Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said from early in the marriage Aston was "unpleasant and domineering" towards his wife and this soon developed into prolonged "physical and mental abuse".
He said over the course of the marriage Aston would regularly assault the woman – including punching her in the stomach when she was pregnant – threaten to kill her, control access to their joint bank account, prevent her from going shopping alone, and would cut access to the internet to stop her contacting friends on Facebook.
The court heard on one occasion his victim applied for a job with Dyfed-Powys Police but when Aston found out he became "enraged", tore up the application form, and held a knife to her throat. Mr Pulling said: "It appeared the defendant did not like the police and did not want his wife working for them."
Aston would also regularly accuse his wife of being unfaithful, especially with police officers and doctors.
The court heard the defendant would smash dinner plates if he did not like what was being served then spend the modest amount of money his wife earned from her own business on takeaways. He himself has never worked.
The prosecutor said Aston took to putting his face next his wife's while saying "tick tock, tick tock" – something his victim took to refer to time counting down "until another beating".
It wasn't until April this year that the truth of what was happening behind the closed doors of the family home emerged when his victim made "initial disclosures" during a medical appointment and she was encouraged to go to the police.
In his police interviews the 49-year-old father-of-two initially denied his behaviour was controlling and said he had watched his father treat his mother in the same way when growing up and was aware of the impact it could have.
Aston, of Holly Street, Pontardawe, admitted engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour and to two specimen counts of assault. The court heard he has previous convictions for sexual offences committed when he was a juvenile.
Vince Williams, for Aston, said he had asked the defendant during his conference with him why he had acted in the way he had but he had been unable to give any reasons.
The advocate said Aston wished to "apologise to his wife and family for what they have suffered over a significant period of time".
Judge Paul Thomas QC told the defendant he was a "bully" who had subjected his wife to a "campaign of coercive and controlling behaviour" and said it was as extreme an example of such conduct as he had encountered.
He said it was clear from a probation report into Aston that he lacked victim empathy and shows no real remorse for what he had done.
Giving the defendant the required one-third discount for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced him to 20 months in prison. Aston will serve up to half of that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
If you or someone you know have been affected by domestic violence visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
