'Dangerous' and violent man jailed for 'most appalling campaign of abuse' court had ever seen

A "dangerous" and violent man who carried out one of the worst campaigns of abuse a court had ever seen has been jailed for 18 and a half years.

Michael Maughan, 27, raped his victim multiple times and threatened to take her to Epping Forest in Essex and kill her, police said.

The vulnerable young woman endured episodes of serious violence in which he would slap and punch her, beat her and throw her to the floor.

Maughan would also take her car keys and prevent her from leaving.

He pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, causing actual bodily harm and kidnap and false imprisonment.

In April 2021, the pair stayed at hotels in Chiswick and Hammersmith in London when the woman was subjected to abuse and assaults.

Maughan hit her with a chair and threw cough syrup at her, the Metropolitan Police said, but she was too terrified of the repercussions if she dared say that she did not consent to sex.

Fearing for her life, she confided in a friend and a report was made to the police.

Detectives immediately launched an investigation and tried to locate both Maughan and the woman.

She had been trying to hide from Maughan and was reported missing, with him also trying to find her.

In his efforts to track her down he visited a beauty salon he knew she frequented in Edgware, where he launched a tirade of abuse and threats against staff so severe that one long-serving staff member resigned out of sheer fear that he would return.

On 5 May 2021, officers went to an address on Effingham Road in Haringey, following intelligence that Maughan was there.

He was arrested and police also discovered the victim, who had been held against her will and was extremely distressed.

In her summary before sentencing, HHJ Kaul QC called his offending a "campaign of the most appalling treatment many in this court may have seen."

She also stated that she found Maughan to be dangerous, particularly in regards to sexual relationships with women.

He must serve at least two thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for parole.