Louth man jailed for nine years for controlling and coercive behaviour

Kyle Coupland-Short, of The Link, was sentenced to nine years in prison and was also placed on the sex offender’s register for life.

He earlier pleaded guilty in September to five counts of controlling and coercive behaviour towards four women over of six years between 2016 and 2022.

Coupland-Short also pleaded guilty to causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent at a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court in September.

Lead investigating officer, DC Katie Moore, has commended the bravery of the victims who came forward to report Coupland-Short’s behaviour and helped bring Coupland-Short to justice, saying it “takes immense courage and strength to stand up against someone”:

She said: “Being a victim of coercive and controlling behaviour has a huge impact on the victim, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We take all reports of this nature seriously.

“The sentence given to him highlights the seriousness of coercive and controlling behaviour, and this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in Lincolnshire.

“We hope that the victims can find some form of closure following his sentence.”

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, or know someone who is, and there's an emergency that's ongoing or life is in danger, call 999 now.

If it is not safe to speak, use the ‘silent solution.’ Press 55 when prompted to tell the emergency services you need help now.

You can also access help from specialist domestic abuse services:

• Lincolnshire's Domestic Abuse Specialist Service (LDASS) helping all women, men and children experiencing domestic abuse.
• The National Domestic Violence Helpline is a 24hr Freephone available on 0808 2000 247 operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Galop – the national LGBT+ anti-violence charity are available on 0800 999 5428.
• If you are a child or young person and domestic abuse is happening in your home or relationship, tell someone you trust, like a teacher, or call Childline on 0800 1111.
• The Men's Advice Line is for male victims of domestic abuse and can be reached on 0808 8010327.
• Safe spaces are available in UK pharmacies including Boots, Superdrug, Morrisons and many independent pharmacies. Go to the healthcare counter and ask to use the safe space where you can access support.

If you're worried about your own behaviour, call the Respect helpline on 0808 802 4040 or use webchat on the Respect website at https://respectphoneline.org.uk/.