On Friday 14 October 2022, officers received a number of domestic abuse disclosures from a 25-year-old woman in Trafford, Greater Manchester.
After officers conducted initial enquiries, it was established that the victim had been involved in a domestically abusive relationship with the suspect and had been in a relationship with the suspect for around ten years.
A 31-year-old man was subsequently arrested on Friday 14 October 2022 on suspicion of actual bodily harm and criminal damage and was questioned by officers.
On Saturday 15 October 2022, he was further arrested for criminal damage to property, controlling and coercive behaviour and actual bodily harm.
Following his arrest, enquiries were made into the suspects domestic history which unearthed a number of instances of domestic abuse related offences against one female victim.
Joshua Fregene (03/12/1991) of no fixed abode was charged with two counts of actual bodily harm, criminal damage to property and controlling and coercive behaviour.
On Monday 17 October 2022, Fregene pleaded not guilty to the charges at Manchester & Salford Magistrates Court where he was remanded to await trial.
On Thursday 13 April 2023, Joshua Fregene was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in prison and received a 5-year restraining order against his victim for the following offences; assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, controlling and coercive behaviour.
Detective Ross Sidebottom of GMP’s Trafford District said: “Firstly of all, I want to acknowledge and commend the victim’s bravery for coming forward and speaking to us about the abuse Fregene inflicted upon her.
“The last few months has undoubtedly been such a distressing process for her and her loved ones and throughout this investigation and trial.
“Throughout the relationship, verbal arguments and disagreements escalated rapidly and eventually, these arguments became violent at the hands of Fregene.
“He regularly accused the victim of cheating and checked the victim’s phone to ‘check she wasn’t being unfaithful’, he controlled and coerced her into thinking and believing she was in the wrong the manipulation continued.
“In May 2022, Fregene attacked the victim punching her on her arms and nose, causing bruises, a nosebleed and black eye.
“Later that year, he took the victims phone from her and looked through her phone in an angered state following an argument and he proceeded to damage the phone in a fit of rage.
“In statement taken by the victim, she described how he wouldn’t let her have a phone of her own. She was worried that when he left the house, she didn’t have access to a phone of her own and worried for the safety of her and her children.
“She described one instance where she had an object thrown at her and was hit in the stomach when she was 6 months pregnant at the time. He tried to defuse the situation, but he followed her up the stairs and proceeded to humiliate her and threw water all over her.
“Fregene would emotionally abuse her and gaslight her into thinking she was causing him misery and distress and said he wanted to kill himself because of the victim and threatened to overdose on drugs. The following morning, he strangled the victim as she tried to call for help.
In October 2022, the victim was also punched continually whilst she was curled up in a ball trying to protect herself from Fregene’s abuse. She plead for him to stop hitting her, but he continued regardless and threatened to slit her throat.
“He proceeded to send a ‘Suicide Note’ to the victims phone telling her it was her fault that the children would grow up without a father.
“Fregene’s crimes are disgraceful and his lack of remorse for the victim and her children’s welfare is despicable. He is a dangerous individual who fully deserves the sentence imposed on him today.
“I truly hope that the sentence of this dangerous individual brings some form of peace to all the victims and their loved ones.”
