A MAN who subjected two separate women to sustained campaigns of controlling and coercive behaviour during their relationships has been sentenced following an investigation by safeguarding officers in Leeds.

Todd Pappin, aged 31, was convicted of the offences after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

He was charged, following an investigation by Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, with two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour relating to his actions in monitoring, repeatedly demeaning and taking control over the lives of the two women in relationships during 2016 to 2017 in Ilkley and 2019 to 2020 in Leeds.

This included regularly not allowing one victim out to see her family or friends, or to buy new clothes or put make up on, as well as physical assaults. The other victim was manipulated by Pappin and stopped from seeing family and friends. When she broke up with him, he sent her abusive messages, refused to take no for an answer and turned up at her work and home.

The offences came to light when a friend of the more recent victim contacted police to report the abuse. Investigating officer Detective Constable Rachel Jackson identified the earlier victim after carrying out enquiries into Pappin.

At Leeds Crown Court today, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also required to attend a building better relationships course, 21 days rehabilitation, 150 hours of unpaid work, plus a restraining for an unlimited time that bans him from contacting either victim.

The judge in the case warned Pappin, of Carr Lane, Low Moor, Bradford, that he would go to prison if he breached any of the conditions of his sentence or committed further domestic abuse offences.

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lambert, who heads Leeds District Safeguarding, said: “Pappin was responsible for a sustained pattern of controlling and coercive behaviour against two separate women victims during their relationships, and his actions have had a significant traumatic impact on their lives.

“No-one should have to endure the type of behaviour he inflicted on these two women over considerable periods of time. They should rightly have expected someone they were in an intimate relationship with to be caring and supportive.

“We hope that they can take some reassurance from knowing he has now been held accountable having been convicted of these offences, with measures in place to stop him from reoffending.

“We treat all reports of controlling or coercive behaviour seriously and have specialist safeguarding officers who will support victims to see that offenders are brought to justice.

“West Yorkshire Police is committed to working alongside our partner agencies to tackle violence against women and girls, particularly domestic abuse, and we continue to encourage victims or those who know about their situation to report it to us, either directly or to any of our partner agencies, including the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.”