Locations
Barry Street, Latchford, Warrington, WA4
Description
A man who sexually assaulted a woman and isolated her from her friends and family has been jailed for 12 years.
Carl Hughes, of Barry Street, Latchford, Warrington, was sentenced on Thursday 14 May after appearing at Chester Crown Court.
The 58-year-old had been found guilty of four counts of assault by penetration plus one count of controlling and coercive behaviour.
On top of the 12-year custodial sentence, Hughes must sign the Sex Offender Register and is also subject to a restraining order.
In June 2022, Cheshire Police received reports of sexual abuse committed by Hughes. The female victim, who was known to Hughes, stated he would frequently turn up at her address and sexually assault her, ignoring her pleas for him to stop.
The victim also stated that he displayed controlling behaviour, such as isolating her from friends and family, calling her names, putting her down, telling her what to wear and even attempted to stop her from running a charity race.
When Hughes was first arrested in June 2022, his mobile devices were seized, and these showed he had sent abusive messages aimed towards the victim and her family.
Hughes was charged with multiple offences and despite his denials, he was found guilty of assault by penetration and controlling and coercive behaviour in February 2026.
Detective Constable Cameron Mackay said:
“Hughes has quite rightly been handed a substantial custodial sentence which reflects the severity of his crimes.
“I would like to highlight the bravery of the victim in this case for speaking about what happened to her and hope the conclusion of this court process will provide her with some closure.
“Hughes thought he could treat the victim however he wanted, trying to control her and subject her to sexual abuse. He even then attempted to deny the offences and subjected her to the stress of a trial.
“No one should ever have to be treated this way and Hughes is now behind bars after he was found guilty.
“If anyone wishes to report any similar offences, please contact us by calling 101 or you can report information to us through our website. We take all reports seriously and investigate them thoroughly.”