Clare man Benjamin Woodrow jailed after subjecting woman to ‘prolonged and degrading abuse’

A man who subjected a woman to ‘prolonged and degrading abuse’, including by locking her in a bathroom for hours and forcing her to drink his urine, has been jailed.

Benjamin Woodrow, 41, of High Street, Clare, was handed a 30 month prison sentence at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.

A jury delivered a guilty verdict on charges of assault by beating, false imprisonment and using controlling or coercive behaviour at a previous hearing.

All charges related to one woman.

The court heard how Woodrow woke his victim up in the early hours of a morning by slapping and punching her after reading messages on her phone.

Shortly after, he strangled her with both hands and locked her in a bathroom for eight hours, throwing the key out of a window and taking her phone so she could not call for help.

During this time, he would return to assault her repeatedly by punching or slapping.

He even forced her to drink a bowl of his urine, used degrading language and threatened to harm her if she stopped.

Woodrow was arrested three days later after a third party tipped off officers.

He was bailed but later breached his conditions by contacting the victim and threatening to harm himself.

In addition to his sentence, Woodrow was also handed a seven year restraining order.

Following his conviction, Detective Sergeant Thomas Handley-Howard, the investigating officer, described it as a deeply disturbing case, with the victim exposed to prolonged and degrading abuse.

“Some of the other behaviours displayed by Woodrow included checking the victim’s phone, using derogatory names and threatening to harm her or himself,” he said.

“These behaviours indicate a significant risk to women with his need to control and coerce through violence and psychological abuse.

“He then denied any wrongdoing, forcing the victim to relive her experiences in court.

“I would like to commend the victim’s courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation to secure this conviction.”