Joshua James Hughes, 21, was sentenced last week in Taree Local Court for coercively controlling and intimidating his girlfriend for over a year. He was given a sentence of three years and two months and will not be eligible for parole until April 2028.
During a year-long gymnastics scholarship overseas, Hughes sent his 19-year-old girlfriend a list of rules that dictated her behavior. These rules included prohibitions against drinking with boys, physical contact with boys, and adding boys on social media. He also demanded she not walk around without a bra, keep her phone accessible at all times, and avoid clothing that would "attract attention." In one instance, after criticizing an outfit, Hughes messaged her, "I don't want my girlfriend dressing like a whore."
The coercive control, which occurred between July 2024 and April 2025, escalated to the point where Hughes demanded his girlfriend video herself to prove she was not near male teammates in communal living spaces. He also instructed her not to wear a bikini during a recovery session, leading her to change into bike shorts.
Hughes blamed his girlfriend for his speeding, sending her a photograph of his car's odometer showing he was traveling at 180 km/h, with the accompanying message: "This is all your fault, I hope I crash into a tree."
After the victim ended the relationship, Hughes refused to accept the breakup. The court heard that Hughes repeatedly contacted her and appeared at her home, prompting police to obtain an apprehended domestic violence order to protect her. Despite the order, Hughes continued to intimidate the victim. CCTV footage captured him making a throat-slitting motion with his hand while staring at her and her friends, who intervened.
Hughes pleaded guilty to intending to abuse, coerce, or control an intimate partner in a domestic violence-related offense, as well as breaching an apprehended domestic violence order. His lawyer applied for bail pending an appeal of the sentence's severity, but bail was refused by Judge Alison Hawkins, and Hughes was taken into custody. His appeal is scheduled to be mentioned at Taree District Court on September 28.