Thug 'oozing jealousy' forced new partner to cover tattoo she had for her ex

A thug who "oozed jealousy" forced his girlfriend to pawn her jewellery and use the money to cover a tattoo she had for her ex, a court heard.

Joel Howes, 37, is said to have forced the woman - who he had been seeing for just three weeks - to cover the inking of Roman numerals referencing her anniversary with her former partner. The personal trainer also cut up items of her clothing which he disapproved of and made her remove photographs from her home which showed her ex.

He has now been convicted of coercive control after a two-day trial at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court. Mark Jackson, prosecuting, said Howes "oozed jealousy" and "in a fit of rage" had also punched his girlfriend in the arm and slapped her in the face with the back of his hand. Mr Jackson said Howes also told his girlfriend her children could not be dropped off at her home because he did not want to see their father, her ex-boyfriend.

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Instead, he gave instructions that she should collect the children from a lay-by or that they should be dropped off at their grandparents. Howes and the victim had known each other from middle school. They began seeing each other in 2023, shortly after the victim had come out of a 15-year relationship with the father of her two children.

However, within a month, she had gone to the police to report Howes' behaviour and he was arrested. The court was told that shortly after the relationship began he went through her wardrobe and cut up clothes he did not approve of. He also found her old jewellery, which he said she should pawn.

Using the money raised, they went to Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, and paid for a tattoo of a black block which covered over a previous tattoo of Roman numerals referencing her anniversary with her former partner. Giving evidence, the woman said that on one occasion she received several messages from Howes while he was at work accusing her of being at her neighbour's house.

He had been monitoring her remotely on the GPS app Life360 - which indicates where her phone is - and demanded evidence from her that she was at home. She said she had to take a picture of herself in her kitchen to convince him.

Describing the incident when she was slapped, she said: "He was pacing back and forwards calling me a liar and slapped me with the back of his hand across my face and told me he would 'knock my f**king teeth out of my head' and was pointing in my face and shouting at me. I sort of froze and couldn't speak. I didn't want him to see me cry so I held it in. I was petrified of him and what he would do."

The victim's sister also gave evidence at the trial saying that her sibling had always been "super glamorous" but that this changed within a week of the start of her new relationship. The witness said her sister began wearing a hat and baggy clothes and stopped replying in a WhatsApp family group chat. The sister also said she was "shocked" and "concerned" when she went to her sibling's home and noticed family photos had been removed from their frames.

Giving evidence, Howes, of Stepshort in Burgh Castle, said he "did not like" the fact that when the couple were having sex in the front room, he had to see images of her ex. He also said that her wearing "skimpy tops" made him feel "uncomfortable" but denied cutting up and throwing out her clothes.

But he admitted he "moaned if she walked around Tesco in gym gear" because it made him feel "insecure". He also insisted he had not had a problem with her tattoo, stating: "It was in Roman numerals. It could have said anything." The trial was told things came to a head during a heated row at the gym where Howes worked when he accused her of hiding phone messages from him.

He took her phone off her and snapped it on his knee. After breaking the screen, he then tracked her on the Life360 on the handset which showed her going to the police station, where she reported him. After hearing the evidence, magistrates found Howes guilty of one count of coercive control.

He will be sentenced on August 27.