A jury has convicted a man who sexually assaulted, stalked and controlled a woman in Hove over a number of years.
Jamie Linton, 27, formerly of Kensington Street, Brighton, and previously of High Street, Brighton, subjected his victim to repeated intimidating and controlling behaviour from 2017 until last year.
Natasha Dardashti, prosecuting, told the jury at Brighton Crown Court: “This was a long campaign of offending … (His victim) was subject to physical and emotional abuse.”
Linton was jailed for three and a half years for drug dealing in 2019 and the abuse continued after his release in October 2020.
Miss Dardashti said that Linton would threaten to harm both the victim and himself if she reported the abuse to police.
She said that he also manipulated her into lending him money and carrying out domestic chores such as cooking and cleaning.
He built up drug debts and got his victim to pay them, the court was told. He even accessed her bank account without permission and moved money out of it.
Linton would try to control who she spoke to and became aggressive about harmless interactions such as a man adding her on social media.
And after his victim tried to cut contact with him, he sexually assaulted her.
He continued to stalk her by turning up at her home unannounced, following her on the school run and contacting her family – even threatening to send them intimate photos that he had taken of her.
She reported the abuse to police in August 2022 and urgent inquiries were carried out to locate and arrest him.
Sussex Police said that safeguarding measures were also put in place to ensure that he could not harm his victim.
His campaign of harassment continued after the abuse was reported to police, with Linton pressuring her throughout the investigation to withdraw her complaint.
In October 2022, Linton was arrested on suspicion of stalking, causing actual bodily harm and coercive and controlling behaviour and recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence in relation to a previous sentence.
Linton was subsequently charged with rape, sexual assault by penetration, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, engaging in coercive or controlling behaviour, stalking causing a fear of violence, two counts of breaching a non-molestation order, intimidating a witness and threatening to disclose private sexual photographs.
He was remanded in custody last July.
At Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday 17 January, he was found guilty of sexual assault by penetration, engaging in coercive or controlling behaviour, stalking causing a fear of violence, threatening to disclose private photographs, witness intimidation and two counts of breaching a non-molestation order.
He was found not guilty of rape and causing actual bodily harm.
He is due to appear for sentencing at a court to be confirmed on Friday 16 February.
Detective Constable Lenka Kovarikova said: “Jamie Linton’s victim has shown incredible bravery in supporting this investigation despite his attempts to intimidate her into disengaging.
“Thanks to her resolve, we have been able to bring him to justice.
“As we look ahead to sentencing, I hope this verdict gives confidence to other victims of physical and sexual abuse to report to police. We will believe you and we will do all we can to get you justice.”
