A WINDSOR man subjected his partner to a ‘campaign’ of ‘alarming’ controlling behaviour in a two-month relationship, a court has heard.

Michael Peek, of Whitley, Windsor, confronted his girlfriend at her children’s school and threw himself on top of her car when she tried to break up with him.

The pair met on a dating app in January 2021 and entered into a relationship towards the end of the month.

At first, 35-year-old Peek was described as ‘kind’ and ‘nice’ by his partner, but he soon turned ‘jealous’ whenever she interacted with men.

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Prosecutor Simon Wilshere told Reading Crown Court of Peek’s string of jealous behaviour, which included:

  • Being upset at what she wore
  • Complaining when she stood to close to her sister’s boyfriend
  • Deleting all male contacts from her social media and phone
  • Throwing out clothes he deemed inappropriate
  • Threatening to kill her neighbour after she said hello to him in a Co-op convenience store
  • Pulling her daughter out of his partner’s bed because he wanted to sleep with his girlfriend
  • Lambasting her for bending over too much when taking groceries out of her car
  • Threatening to kill her children’s pets

The troubling behaviour continued when the woman tried to break up with Peek.

When she tried to hand him money so he had somewhere to stay, he threatened to burn it.

The woman had to resort to texting Peek to tell him to move out of her house.

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This caused Peek to send multiple messages to her apologising. Peek also forced his mother to send messages to the woman apologising on his behalf.

Peek then confronted the woman by jumping in front of her car with her birth certificate in his hand.

He told her to let him in but she drove off and reported him to police. The 42-year-old was arrested on March 21.

It later emerged Peek had stolen jewellery from his partner.

In a statement read by Mr Wilshere, the woman said: “He would make me feel very bad about myself.

“Being with the defendant has really knocked my confidence.”

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Martin Hawkes, defending Peek, said: “This is still a relatively young man who has mental problems that need to be addressed.

“A suspended sentence will give him the opportunity to address these problems.”

His Honour Judge Burgess said Peek subjected his partner to a ‘campaign’ of ‘troubling’ and ‘alarming’ behaviour.

However, citing a probation officer’s report, Judge Burgess said there would be a “greater advantage” for society in ensuring Peek’s rehabilitation was completed in the community rather than in prison.

For one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour, Peek was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years, and told to take part in 30 sessions of a relationships course, take part in 40 days of rehabilitation activities and complete 175 hours of unpaid work.

Peek was also banned from contacting his former partner via a restraining order.

He was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, March 20.