A man has been jailed for coercively controlling and intimidating his girlfriend for more than a year, dictating what she could wear, how she should behave and imposing a sinister list of rules while she was overseas.
Joshua James Hughes, 21, was sentenced to three years and two months in jail last week in Taree Local Court. He will not be eligible for parole until April 2028.
When his 19-year-old girlfriend travelled overseas on a year-long gymnastics scholarship, Hughes sent her a disturbing list of 'rules' dictating how she was expected to behave.
The rules included no drinking with boys, no physical contact with boys, no boys on social media, no walking around without a bra, keeping her phone available at all times and avoiding tops that would 'attract attention'.
After criticising one of her outfits, he messaged her, 'I don't want my girlfriend dressing like a whore.'
Court documents reveal the full extent of the coercive control, which took place between July 2024 and April 2025.
His demands escalated to the point where she was ordered to video herself to prove she was not near any male teammates in communal accommodation.
In another incident, he told her not to wear a bikini during a recovery session, prompting her to change into bike shorts.
Mr Hughes was sentenced to three years and two months in jail last week in Taree Local Court (pictured)
The victim was told what to wear, how to behave and was forbidden from being near other men
In another example revealed in court documents, Hughes blamed her for his speeding, sending her a photograph of his car's odometer showing he was travelling at 180km/h, alongside the message: 'This is all your fault, I hope I crash into a tree.'
The victim eventually ended the relationship, but Hughes refused to accept the breakup.
The court heard that she once put him on loudspeaker so her friends could hear him berating her over the phone.
The harassment continued, with Hughes repeatedly contacting her and turning up at her home, prompting police to obtain an apprehended domestic violence order to protect her.
But even with the protection order in place, Hughes continued to intimidate the victim. CCTV footage showed him 'drawing his hand across his throat' in a slitting motion while staring towards the table where she was sitting with her friends, who were forced to intervene to protect her.
Hughes pleaded guilty to a charge of intending to abuse, coerce or control an intimate partner in a domestic violence-related offence and later pleaded guilty to breaching an AVO.
During sentencing, his lawyer applied to appeal the severity of the sentence and sought bail while the appeal was pending.
The bail was refused by Judge Alison Hawkins and Hughes was taken into custody.
His appeal is due to be mentioned at Taree District Court on September 28, when another hearing date is expected to be set.
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