A former soldier with a long history of beating and abusing women turned his partner's life into a "nightmare" with his controlling behaviour, a court has heard. Darran Porch – who has 27 previous convictions for violence, "almost all" of which are domestic in nature – used a fake identity on a dating site to hide his past.
Having "lured" a woman into a relationship under false pretences he then effectively took over her life – cutting her off from her friends, monitoring her movements, not allowing her to go to the toilet unless he was present, and controlling which positions she could sleep in. Swansea Crown Court heard the former solider suffers from "complex and severe" post-traumatic stress disorder and while he craves a normal relationship with a wife and children he realises that because of his past that is not going to be possible.
Helen Randall, prosecuting, said in the summer of 2021 Porch met his victim – a solicitor in her 40s – on a dating website where the defendant was using the name of Max Hill in order to hide his true identity and his string of previous convictions for domestic violence both in the UK and Australia. She said the couple soon moved in together at Porch's Port Talbot flat and he began promising marriage and talking about children. However, almost immediately, the defendant became controlling and belittling in his behaviour towards his new partner by criticising her parking abilities, her choice of food, the way she cleaned, and the way she dressed – asking her if she was "a solicitor or soliciting". On one occasion early in the relationship he asked his new partner if he had the biggest penis she had ever seen and when the woman replied she had not really thought about it he told her she had "really f***** it up" before ignoring her for the rest of the day.
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The court heard he would follow his partner when she drove to see her parents and would then ring her every hour to check where she was. He would also make her wear a towel like a bib when eating, would not allow her to shower or go to the toilet alone, would sulk if she used her phone, and would control what positions she slept in.
The prosecutor said Porch put pressure on the women to use her savings to buy a house and one one occasion called her a "slag" and pushed her about after seeing a message from the brother of a work colleague pop up on her phone while on another occasion assaulted her as she drove her car along the M4 leaving her with cuts and bruises on her face. The court heard he was also insist that all sex between the pair was anal and the frequency and nature and way the defendant did it has left the woman with lasting medical problems.
Miss Randall said that when the woman finally ended the relationship Porch tried to "coerce money from her", telling her he thought she had managed to save £20,000 and that £7,000 for him would be a "fair settlement". In a victim impact statement which was read to the court the woman described how Porch had "conditioned" and controlled her and said the relationship had left her feeling drained and exhausted. She said looking back now she can see how "out of kilter" her life had become as she was cut off from friends and family.
Darran Raymond Porch, aged 50, of Tydraw Road, Port Talbot, had previously pleaded guilty to coercive or controlling behaviour and to two counts of common assault when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 11 previous convictions for 44 offences including 27 for violence – "almost all" domestic-related in both in the UK and in Australia where he settled after leaving the Army.
Kate Roxburgh, for Porch, said the defendant had seen "active and very traumatic service" in the military which to this day he found hard to talk about and which resulted in "complex and severe" post-traumatic stress disorder. She said her client was taking antipsychotic medication and "enormous quantities" of antidepressants but had never received therapy for his condition and "passes the trauma down the line to those close to him".
The barrister said Porch had genuinely loved the solicitor and it had been a genuine attempt at a relationship though she accepted he had used a false name. Miss Roxburgh said the defendant dreamed of a normal family life with a wife and children and "a white picket fence" but had the insight into his past and his condition to realise that was never going to be possible. She added that there was another side to Porch including his work with other veterans which was set out in a number of letters submitted to the court on his behalf, including one from a former Welsh Guardsman.
Judge Paul Thomas QC told Porch he had "lured" the woman into a relationship by using a false name and had then subjected her to appalling, controlling, and belittling behaviour which made her day-to-day existence a "nightmare". The judge said he accepted the defendant had post-traumatic stress disorder but said Porch had a violent nature and said it was significant that all the letters written to the court on the defendant’s behalf had come from men, noting that woman may have a different view of his character.
With a 25% discount for his guilty pleas Porch was sentenced to two years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting his former partner. The judge added that Porch should have been made the subject of a domestic abuse protection order and said he was surprised one had not been applied for.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
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