Record details
A controlling thug sexually assaulted his ex during a harrowing, months-long ordeal that left her feeling 'utterly powerless, trapped and defeated'. John Haywood, 41, was jealous and paranoid during the three-month relationship with the woman.
He accused her of looking at other men and humiliated her on social media. Minshull Street Crown Court heard he would send her derogatory messages and post intimate information about her online.
Haywood constantly phone her while she was on her way to work and timed how long it took her to get home. The woman ended the relationship after and requested police speak to Haywood, from Bolton, as he was 'stalking her', the court heard.
The woman has waived her right to anonymity as a sex offence victim to allow the full facts of the case to be reported. The Manchester Evening News is not naming her here.
"He would turn up at her house unannounced," prosecutor Virginia Hayton said. "On one occasion, he let himself into her house whilst she was in the bath and got into her bed."
A few weeks later, while on holiday with her mum, the woman was told Hayton's sister had taken her own life. She contacted him to offer her sympathies. She ended up being pulled back into the relationship.
During a night out for her 30th birthday, he began messaging her. When the woman was returning home in a taxi she missed a call from Hayton. When she arrived, he demanded to see her Uber app to 'check if she had dropped anybody off'.
"They argued and she went upstairs to pack her belongings and take her dog home," Ms Hayton said. "He followed her, pinned her onto the bed and [sexually assaulted her] telling her he was checking to see if she was with someone else."
"She tried to fight him off, but was unable to do so due to his large size." The woman was left with bruises to her neck, arms and legs.
Following a trial, he was unanimously found guilty by a jury of assault by penetration. In an emotional statement read in court, the woman said: "Initially, he appeared to be a beacon of hope, making me feel cherished and promising a future filled with love and stability. He presented himself as a successful businessman with a home, promising both emotional and financial security. Sadly, this was all an elaborate façade.
"In a matter of weeks, John's charm dissolved into relentless interrogation and oppressive control. I went from being a confident, independent woman - a single mother who had built a successful career and maintained her own home - into a shell of my former self. I lived in constant fear, terrified that any minor action might provoke his wrath.
"I avoided eye contact in public, terrified that a mere glance at another man would incite his rage. My spirit was broken, trapped in a relationship with no apparent escape. John's [behaviour] was incessant and all-consuming. He would appear unannounced at all hours, follow me everywhere, bombard me with abusive calls and messages, and even attempt to break into my home."
The woman said she felt 'utterly powerless, trapped and defeated', adding: "The weight of my trauma is crushing, and I live in constant anxiety. His constant verbal assaults on my appearance and self-worth have left indelible scars. Phrases like 'you look like you've been attacked with an axe' due to stretch marks haunt me, eroding what little self-esteem I have left.
"I am terrified of the day he is released, convinced he will seek revenge. The thought of returning to that dark place in my life - paranoid, anxious, and performing safety rituals every night - fills me with dread. The longer the legal system can protect me from this man, the better."
The mother of the victim, speaking from the witness box, said: "I stand here before you today to discuss the impact this perpetrator's actions have had on my daughter and my family. Before his infiltration into her life, she was an independent, outgoing confident woman.
"The stark change in her is hard to witness. Once radiating happiness and strength, she is a shadow of her former self. She is consumed by anxiety. She suffers with flashbacks, panic attacks and nightmares. The psychological damage she endured, it has broken my heart to see my daughter struggle.
"Her PTSD is so high, it is comparable to a veteran of war. The devil infiltrated our lives with pain and managed to derail her pathway of success. My daughter is a cherished and loved paediatric nurse who has dedicated her life to helping people. She has now made it her life mission to assist potential victims and survivors. She wants to bring attention to this epidemic of crimes.
"Her sister summed it up in one sentence - 'I was grieving someone I love who is still alive'. This criminal can't be rehabilitated, but he most certainly can be punished." The court heard that Haywood had previous convictions, including for battery.
Mitigating, Nicholas Clarke said his client would not 'habitually ignore' court orders. "It is accepted this was humiliation," he added. "This was the utmost humiliation and degradation.
Jailing him, Judge Jonathan Seely said he had heard evidence of Haywood's 'jealous, controlling, domineering and at times cruel' conduct towards the woman.
