Samantha’s ex-partner isolated and abused her. He’s the first man in NSW to serve jail time for coercive control
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The abuse Samantha endured started slowly. Her then-partner Callum Fairleigh would monitor her location, questioning her movements. He would snap, becoming verbally abusive and hurling vile insults. He hid her keys, disputed her credit card charges and attempted to isolate her from friends and family.
In public, however, Fairleigh was the picture-perfect partner, adorning her with gifts and compliments.
His manipulation and mood swings made Samantha doubt herself. “You’re in such a confused state you think, maybe it’s my fault. I just felt like a horrible person all the time,” she said.
But she said there was a part of her that knew he was toxic. After feeling “like a prisoner” during the pair’s six-year relationship, in November 2024 she left for the fifth and final time and turned to the police.
It was then that investigators suggested she was a victim of coercive control.
Coercive control is defined as a person using repeated patterns of physical or non-physical abuse to hurt, scare, intimidate, threaten or control someone. NSW criminalised the offence in July 2024.
Last week Fairleigh, 34, became the first person in NSW to serve prison time for coercive control. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 15 months.
Samantha, who is protected by a 10-year apprehended violence order, said Friday’s sentencing was “validating”. She gave permission for her first name to be published to educate others about coercive control and help victim survivors feel less alone.
Read more https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/samantha-s-ex-partner-isolated-and-abused-her-he-s-the-first-man-in-nsw-to-serve-jail-time-for-coercive-control-20260203-p5nz2i.html
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