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Family Solicitors

Dover man convicted of multiple rape and coercive and controlling behaviour towards female victim (13 January 2017)

Date: 13/01/2017
Duncan Lewis, Family Solicitors, Dover man convicted of multiple rape and coercive and controlling behaviour towards female victim

Canterbury Crown Court has convicted a man of committing multiple rapes on a woman and waging a campaign of coercive and controlling behaviour against her.

Christopher Moore, 30, of Coombe Valley Road in Dover had previously pleaded guilty to one charge of controlling or coercive behaviour under legislation which came into effect at the end of 2015. He also pleaded guilty to one count of putting someone in fear of violence by harassment.

The court heard that Moore had kicked, punched and throttled his victim – and threats made against her included a threat that he would kill her dog. He had continued to send threats to her even from prison, when he attempted to persuade her to withdraw from the impending prosecution of the case.

The new law of controlling or coercive behaviour only applies to abuse or behaviour on or after 29 December 2015.

To prosecute this offence, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has to be able to show evidence of a pattern of abuse or behaviour against a victim, which stops short of serious physical violence, but leaves them in fear and impacts on their usual day-to-day activities.

Christopher Moore's victim had moved to Kent to escape from him, but he followed her to the area and raped her on a number of different occasions.

After she reported him to the police in February 2016, Moore embarked on what was described in court as “a course of conduct clearly designed to intimidate his victim and make her fearful of further violence”.

Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS South East Jaswant Narwal said:

“The victim in this case faced a horrifying ordeal at Moore's hands – she was raped repeatedly by him and once she reported him to the police, he started to call, text and email with threats.

“One text message the victim received talked about the only way they would ever be apart was when she was with her parents, who were both dead – while another spoke about following her and knowing where she was staying.

“It was thanks to the support of a friend that the victim came forward initially and Moore has now been brought to justice.

“This is a timely reminder to all of us that everyone has a role to play if we suspect someone we know is suffering abuse in this way – as this case shows, it does not even need to be physical abuse for it to have a serious impact on someone's life.”


Moore was remanded in custody while Judge James O’Mahoney suspended sentencing for five weeks pending a report on the danger Moore might pose to the public.

The judge told the court that evidence given during the trial had disclosed “monstrous behaviour” on the part of Moore, adding that it was “highly likely” Moore was “extremely dangerous towards women”.

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