A violent rapist who subjected his former partner to months of physical, sexual and psychological abuse while she was pregnant and caring for their newborn baby has been jailed for 15 years.
Elliot Bulman raped, strangled and assaulted the young mother while attempting to control almost every aspect of her life and remove her independence.
The 22-year-old, of Peel Hall Road in Wythenshawe, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court after a judge described his conduct as sadistic and misogynistic.
His victim partially waived her legal right to anonymity so details of what she endured could be reported. UKNIP is not identifying her.
Campaign of control
The court heard Bulman controlled his partner’s finances, monitored her social-media accounts and imposed rules governing where she could go, what she wore and whom she was allowed to meet.
He attempted to interfere with her medical treatment because he objected to her being examined by a male doctor. On another occasion, he locked her inside their home before going out drinking.
The physical violence began during her pregnancy. While the couple were carrying furniture upstairs for their baby, Bulman struck her in the back with a set of drawers, causing her to fall, before dragging her by her hair.
His behaviour escalated from punching, kicking and pulling her hair into repeated physical and sexual attacks.
The abuse continued after their baby was born. The woman told police that Bulman struck her and threw objects while she held the child, and threatened to kill both of them.
During another degrading incident, he spat in her face as she held the newborn and forced her to leave the saliva there for 45 minutes while verbally abusing her.
Some offences were committed in the presence of their child.
Mother fled family home
The woman eventually escaped the family home with little more than the clothes she was wearing. Bulman’s intimidation continued and he later attended her workplace, prompting staff to contact police.
Bulman admitted controlling and coercive behaviour and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Following a trial, he was convicted of two counts of rape, four counts of causing sexual activity, assault by penetration, making a threat to kill and four strangulation offences.
‘Neither remorse nor empathy’
Judge Jon Close said the offending amounted to a deliberate campaign of domination intended to break the victim down and make her completely controllable.
The court heard Bulman continued to avoid responsibility and claimed that the woman had provoked him. The judge told him he had shown neither remorse nor empathy.
In her victim statement, the survivor said the abuse had stripped away her freedom, identity and independence. Instead of being able to recover from childbirth and bond safely with her baby, she had been left isolated in an environment of extreme physical, sexual and emotional violence.
She said the convictions confirmed the reality of what she had survived, but that no sentence could undo the lasting harm caused to her health, life and experience of motherhood.
Extended period on licence
Bulman was assessed as presenting a high risk of committing further sexual offences and a high risk of harming future partners.
He received a 15-year custodial sentence and must serve at least two-thirds of the term before the Parole Board can consider his release.
If he is eventually released, he will remain subject to licence conditions for a further five years.
