Man jailed after he ‘gaslighted’ a Mansfield woman into thinking she was losing her mind

Shaun Cooke, of no fixed address, also played a ‘game’ he called ‘chopsaw’ where he would randomly hit his victim in the throat.

A series of offences over a number of months led to his victim questioning her own sanity, as Cooke attempted to convince her that she was mentally ill.

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The 39-year-old would hide her belongings and put them back in places she had already looked for them as well repeatedly accusing her of having affairs while he was in the house.

Gaslighting is when a person makes a victim question their reality in order to gain control over them. It can have an incredibly damaging impact on victims, leading to people feeling isolated and trapped in abusive relationships.

Tenacious work from officers and detectives at Nottinghamshire Police led to the arrest, charge and remand of Cooke, as well as the safeguarding of the victim.

Nottinghamshire Police was called to a domestic disturbance in Mansfield, on Saturday 23 May 2020 after a member of the public was concerned for a woman’s safety.

Cooke was arrested in connection with the incident and was later charged with coercive and controlling behaviour.

He pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday September 23).

Detective Constable Paul Clark, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a consistent onslaught of emotional and physical abuse that led to a person questioning their own perception of reality.

“The victim has been incredibly strong throughout this case and I would like to commend her for her bravery in supporting our investigation into this horrific series of incidents.“Coercive and controlling behaviour is a manipulative and vindictive way of exploiting vulnerability.

He added: “I would encourage anyone who has any concerns for a friend, family member or neighbour to report them to Police as soon as possible.

“My message to those who are in difficult situations is, you are not alone and help is there for you when you need it.”

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