A VIOLENT abuser who embarked on a four-year campaign of coercive and controlling behaviour against his wife has pleaded guilty at court.

Yesterday, Gareth Clatworthy admitted the 'repeated and continuous' domestic abuse as well as intimidating his victim in a bid to make her drop the case.

The fresh offences come less than a year after the 40-year old was jailed for a separate case of stalking in which he bombarded another woman with hundreds of violent, threatening messages.

In that case he sent his victim more than 500 messages calling her a 'whore', a 'b**ch', and a 'chemical filled bag of ugly flesh' after their virtual love affair came to an end.

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Clatworthy, previously of Stanford in the Vale, now of High Street, Evesham, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday.

Speaking via videolink from HMP Bullingdon in Bicester, he pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, and another count of intimidation.

Clatworthy's victim was his wife who was subjected to the domestic abuse between December 29, 2015, and January 28, 2020, in Stanford in the Vale.

During his campaign of control prosecutors say that there were 'physical assaults' and 'isolating' behaviour.

He also 'demanded to be cared for', spoke in a derogatory manner as well as damaged items.

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As part of the abuse Clatworthy caused her to more than once fear that violence would be used against her.

It was also said at yesterday's hearing that he intimidated her between January and March this year in a bid to make her withdraw her support for the prosecution in the case against him.

He denied a further count of stalking as well as three counts alleging assaults against her.

After the pleas had been entered, prosecutor Sasha Bailey said it was 'understood' that the Crown Prosecution Service would accept those pleas and that no future trial would be forthcoming, with a final decision expected to be made today.

She added that the assault allegations 'encompassed' the single charge of controlling and coercive behaviour.

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Curtis Myrie, defending, told the court that his client had 'underlying mental health difficulties' that were 'long-standing' and he asked to adjourn the case for further reports.

In June last year Clatworthy was jailed for 20 weeks for stalking and sending threatening communications.

During those offences he carried out a predatory campaign of abuse after a woman he met online tried to end their virtual fling.

He created more than 200 separate social media accounts in a bid to stay in touch with her and also sent her a Google Earth image of her home address, despite not being told by her where she lived, and never having visited her.

Using the fake social media profiles to harass her he went on to threaten to kill her new partner saying 'I am going to burn his body, I am going to beat him to death with my fists.'

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Yesterday, presiding Judge Maria Lamb agreed to adjourn the case for a pre-sentence report but warned Clatworthy he should expect a jail term.

She said: "I will [adjourn] but I don't want to hold out any indication that this will be dealt with by anything other than immediate custody."

The case was adjourned while reports are prepared until July 7 and Clatworthy was remanded in custody in the meantime.