A man has been jailed for 17 years for the rape and coercive control of his then partner following “a sustained and deliberate” oppressive regime of her. Maurice Magner (44), formerly of Killavullen, Co Cork, was found guilty of coercive control, two counts of rape, one count of oral rape, two counts of anal rape and three counts of sexual assault between 2019 and 2021 at an address in Waterford. It was indicated at the Central Criminal Court that while the woman wished to retain her anonymity she was anxious Magner be named. Det Gda Ann Marie Myler said Magner and the injured party were in a relationship that began to deteriorate in 2019 and Magner began to coercively control the woman by having access to her electronic devices’ passwords. The court heard Magner controlled all facets of the woman’s life, including removing light bulbs to keep her in the dark and disconnecting the heating. She was not allowed to wear make-up and he decided what clothes she would wear. Magner opened her post and made threats against her and her family. Visitors were not permitted in the house. After she had given birth, he told her she could not have painkillers as “real women don’t need painkillers”. He also took her sanitary products away after she had given birth. The detective garda told the court the woman was struck with a closed fist into her ribs, was pushed, shoved and threatened. Magner led the woman to believe there were cameras in the house and that she was being watched. He also made the woman stand in the hot press for hours. The court heard Magner had “rules” and that if the woman did not follow them then she would be punished. On three separate occasions, Magner carried out sexual offences against the woman. During one assaults, he dragged the woman. On a second one, he held her by the hair while raping her. While the detective garda gave evidence to the court, Magner wept in the dock.Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Tony Hunt said it was “a sustained and deliberate” behaviour by Magner “designed to control and dominate all ordinary aspects of the woman’s life” including financial control, limiting her social contacts and the imposition of domestic rules followed by consequences for noncompliance. He said in relation to the sexual offending it was “crystal clear” there was no consent and it was part of a “sustained campaign of oppression against her – for reasons that I utterly fail to comprehend”, Hunt said.He set a headline sentence of 17 years in prison to “reflect the overall offending”.Hunt said he intended to suspend the final two years of the term on condition that Magner agree to not contact the woman directly or indirectly again – “as a reassurance that when she hopefully puts her life together, that when he leaves prison he will not cause her any difficulty”.However, the case was adjourned for a short period when Magner refused to enter into that bond.He returned and again refused to enter into the bond.Hunt said he was imposing a prison sentence of 17 years, but in fairness to Magner he would allow him to come back to court in the next 14 days to enter into the bond should he wish to do so. He said if he agreed to the terms then the final two years of the sentence would be suspended.The judge said the woman was “clearly a very strong and organised person” and said he had no doubt at all about her ability to put her life back on track free of Magnier’s oppressive regime.“She is a person of considerable courage and just like the jury I accept the impact of his regime upon her,” the judge said.In her victim impact statement, which she read out at an earlier hearing, she said: “I am the victim of sexual violence and coercive control. I was trapped, isolated and threatened. Prior to meeting Magner, I was a social and confident girl who enjoyed spending time with family and friends. He cut me off from all of them.”She also said: “I tried everything to make him happy and keep my family safe.” “I was merely an object to be used, abused and destroyed,” the woman said. She told the court fear was hard to turn off and she described how “rape robbed me of a dignity that I will never get back”.The woman said: “I will always be in desperate fear of Magner.”The detective garda agreed with Michael Delaney, defending, his client had little contact with his family and has worked as a plumber, a DJ and a salesperson. Delaney said his client was a person of previous good character and had worked for most of his adult life.