First person to be prosecuted under domestic abuse legislation admits guilt

41-year-old changes plea to guilty day before trial 

The first person to be prosecuted on the Isle of Man under new domestic abuse legislation will be sentenced in August.

Charlotte Rebecca Dougherty, of Ballachrink Drive in Onchan, appeared at Douglas Courthouse yesterday (27 June).

The 41-year-old admitted that her behaviour – between 4 and 31 January – did, or could have, caused physical or psychological harm.

Dougherty changed her plea after previously denying the domestic abuse offence – she’d been due to stand trial today (28 June).

The case was initially laid before the court in February when the prosecutor told the hearing it was the first prosecution brought under the Domestic Abuse Act 2020 which came into force in January.

Dougherty appeared at yesterday’s hearing via live video link from the Isle of Man Prison where she has spent the last 21 weeks.

She listened as the prosecutor told the court the complainant in the case, her partner, had also been her carer who had given up work to help look after her.

He’d told police that her mental health had started to decline in August last year and she’d begun to talk to people online about religion – describing her as becoming a ‘religious fanatic’.  

This, he said, resulted in her demanding he study the bible and preventing him from listening to his own music – she also accused him of infidelity and stopped him drinking and eating bacon.

Describing her as ‘some days being down the rabbit hole’ he said she would swear at him ‘just simply to get a reaction’ and made him hand over birthday money from his parents to charity.

On 23 January she attacked him – puling his hair, pinning his head down and biting him on the back.

Eight days later she ‘hit the roof’ whilst he was using his iPad and hit him on the head with it before spitting in his face; she threatened to break the device and bit him on the bicep.

The court was told she’d also forced him to carry out a sexual act without letting him stop – and on one occasion had called 999 when he’d locked himself in the car to get away from her.

The court heard he’d told police: “I started to fear for my own life.”

Social enquiry and psychiatric reports have been requested before Dougherty is sentenced on 1 August – there was no application for bail and she was further remanded in custody.

A charge of common assault was withdrawn after the prosecution offered no evidence.