A 23-year-old Cheshire man has been jailed for raping and controlling a woman over a number of months.

The Crown Prosecution Service said that Sefa Sarikaya forced the woman to have sex and stopped her seeing friends and family. He changed the password on her phone so that he could constantly check it and dictated what she should wear and what make up she could use.

He forced her to give up employment so that she was financially dependent on him. He demeaned and physically assaulted his victim.

The woman eventually went to the police when Sarikaya denied the allegations.

Following careful consideration of the evidence he was charged with several rapes, an assault by beating and controlling and coercive behaviour.

He was found guilty of three counts of rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault following a trial in March at Chester Crown Court. He was found not guilty of two other charges of rape, intentional strangulation and one count of assault by beating.

On Friday, July 19, at Chester Crown Court, he was sentenced to seven years in prison and will be on the sex offenders register until further order.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Simon Pover, a specially trained prosecutor with CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: “Sefa Sarikaya is a serious sexual offender who controlled and demeaned his victim so that she had nowhere to turn.

“He isolated his victim, jealously controlling many aspects of her life, as such offenders often do. They rob their victim of their self-worth and the agency to escape their situation.

“Fortunately, this lady did find the courage to approach police then worked with them and the Crown Prosecution Service to bring the offender to justice.

“The CPS sincerely hopes that this successful prosecution helps her to rebuild her life and to live as she chooses to.”