A bullying and violent man claimed he had cancer as part of a campaign of control over his partner.
Derrick Lyndon Miller subjected the woman to threats and name-calling, physically abused her, tried to control her movements, and threatened to jump in front of a train if she did not do as he wanted.
When the victim ended the relationship Miller would follow the woman around and go to her place of work.
Swansea Crown Court heard there were problems in the relationship between Miller and the woman “almost immediately”, including violence.
Nicola Powell, prosecuting, said the Miller’s partner usually did not report the incidents to the police and did not pursue the complaints she had reported.
She said the defendant used a “number of methods of controlling behaviour” towards the woman including making threats to kill her and members of her family, threatening to cause trouble for her at work, claiming he had cancer, and telling her he would throw himself under a train unless she did as he wished.
The barrister also said the 47-year-old would tell his partner nobody else would love her and she would be alone if she left him.
Ms Powell said the victim described her partner as “very possessive and controlling” and she just “gave in” to his behaviour.
The court heard matters eventually came to a head over the summer with the woman ending the relationship and moving out. Miller responded by following her around whenever she was out and about in Neath and turning up drunk and abusive at her place of work forcing her to lock herself in an office for 45 minutes.
In a brief victim impact statement read to the court the woman said Miller had made her life a misery and “called me so many names I now believe it”. She said Miller had left her self-confidence at “zero”.
Miller, of London Road, Neath, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, stalking, and a count of common assault – an incident when he had punched his partner in the face and split her lip – when he appeared in the dock on Friday.
The court heard he has previous convictions for criminal damage – which involved a previous partner – as well as public order matters and obstructing a police officer. The obstructing charge relates to an incident when the victim of the controlling behaviour had called police but when they arrived she did not want to make a complaint and Miller pushed an officer.
Huw Davies, for Miller, said the defendant realised his behaviour had been “abhorrent” and he accepted the relationship was over.
Giving Miller a discount for his guilty pleas the judge sentenced him to two years for controlling behaviour and to two years for stalking with those sentences to run concurrently and three months for the assault which will run consecutively, making an overall sentence of two years and three months.
The defendant was also made the subject of a restraining order to run for five years.
If you, or someone you know, is affected by domestic violence, visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
