Man jailed for controlling and coercive behaviour

A man who isolated a former partner from her family and friends and attempted to control her life has been jailed.

Brandon Pogonowski, of Moreton Road in Crewe, was jailed for 21 months on Monday 19th January at Chester Crown Court after pleading guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour.

The 29-year-old must also comply with a restraining order to protect the victim.

In June 2025, Cheshire Police received an abandoned 999 call in which a man and a woman could be heard shouting.

The call was traced to an address in Crewe and officers attended. The female victim disclosed that she had been subjected to abuse by Pogonowski.

This included isolating her from her friends and family, controlling how much she went out and socialised, monitoring her whereabouts, and even making false allegations to two of her employers in order to cause her to lose her job.

Pogonowski also verbally abused her on an almost daily basis, calling her names and telling her to ‘kill herself’. He controlled the victim’s intake of alcohol, maintained oppressive contact with her when she wasn’t in his company, and posted explicit photographs of her on social media to embarrass her.

The victim had reported Pogonowski to police previously, but she told officers he had encouraged her to withdraw her statements.

Pogonowski was arrested and interviewed. He was released on bail with conditions and a Domestic Violence Protection Order Notice to protect the victim.

When the victim attended the police station to give her interview, Pogonowski called 18 times from a withheld number.

He was later charged with the offences.

Sergeant Chris Barnes said:

“I would like to commend the victim in this case for bravely speaking to police about what happened to her and hopefully this sentence will provide her with some closure.

“Officers worked tirelessly to ensure the offence was thoroughly investigated, the case was robustly presented, and the victim was supported throughout the criminal justice process.

“This investigation demonstrated a strong partnership approach between response officers and investigators.

“The subsequent custodial sentence reflects the seriousness with which the courts view offences of controlling and coercive behaviour and highlights the commitment of officers and staff in tackling domestic abuse, holding offenders to account, and protecting victims.

“If you have experienced offences of this nature, please contact us either by calling 101 or simply reporting via our website. We take all reports incredibly seriously and will investigate thoroughly with the needs and wishes of the victims as our main priority.

“In an emergency, always dial 999.”

Pictured - Brandon Pogonowski of Moreton Road in Crewe.