A “CRUEL” husband who subjected his wife to years of abuse has been jailed for more than three-and-a-half years.

Mohit Wadhwa, 37, attacked his wife physically and verbally, ordered she cut herself off from her parents, demanded she take out a £10,000 loan and threatened her with divorce.

The taxi driver, who had an open affair with another woman while married to his wife, had denied charges of controlling and coercive behaviour and assault causing actual bodily harm to his wife.

Last month, a jury saw through his lies – taking less than four hours to unanimously find him guilty of controlling behaviour and two of the ABH charges.

Sending Wadhwa to prison for three years and seven months on Thursday, Judge Jason Taylor QC said the dad-of-two had shown “not one iota” of remorse.

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Mohit Wadhwa's custody shot Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

The judge said: “You were married to your victim and had two children together. During the course of the marriage you began what was to become an open affair yet still came back to the marital home as and when it suited you and on your terms. Over a period of almost three years your behaviour ranged from psychological to physical abuse which chipped away at your wife’s self-confidence and self-worth.”

“You isolated your wife from her friends and family and with the latter you made her choose you over them to the extent that she didn’t see her parents between 2008 and 2018. Of course, I will only sentence you for the indicted period for when this law was in force [from 2015], but it is notable that your control was such that her mother never even met her grandson before she sadly passed away.

“That lack of compassion and the cruelty is striking but it fits with your character that I had an opportunity of observing at the trial.”

The catalogue of abuse suffered by his wife between 2015 and 2018 caused her to lose so much weight she dropped from a size 12 to a six or eight. She claimed he had been controlling throughout their decade-long relationship.

On one occasion in 2017, he twisted her arm so hard she feared it would break then threw her into the room and refused to let her children in to see her. 

After another argument Wadhwa kicked her hard in the back then took her car keys, forcing her to walk the children to school. She was in so much pain she had to call a cab later that day so she could pick the children up from school and had to sit on a doughnut cushion to alleviate her symptoms.

He pinned her against the wall by her throat, prompting their daughter to speak up in her mother’s defence. He taunted the girl, telling her she had “found her voice”.

In 2018, as the woman and her children returned from a trip to America they were picked up from the airport by her father. Wadhwa followed them in his car and banged on the vehicle as they stopped at traffic lights.

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Wadhwa outside Swindon Crown Court last month Pictures: ADVER

The man even forced her to take out a £10,000 loan in her name, threatening to divorce her if she refused.

“All in all, over this prolonged period of time you made her life miserable and you treated her with no respect. She was yours to do with as you pleased – a chattel, not a wife,” Judge Taylor said.

He accused the defendant using the threat of divorce, knowing how ashamed his wife would be of a split. “You took advantage of the fact that she felt trapped. You can shake your head as much as you want but it just illustrates your total lack of remorse.”

That lack of remorse was stressed later in Thursday’s hearing, when the judge blasted: “Watching you during the trial and watching you watch your wife give evidence spoke volumes.”

He added: “I have no doubt that forcing your family to give evidence was an extension of your controlling character.

"In my judgement there is a total absence of remorse, not a single iota.”

In a victim statement summarised to the court on Thursday by prosecutor Caighli Taylor, Wadhwa’s victim said the things her husband did “flew back to her” when she had to come to court to give evidence.

Ms Taylor said: “These were memories that she tried to block or shut away and she also said that in essence she found the experience of giving evidence quite difficult. She was feeling hurt and felt like crying.”

Charley Pattison, mitigating, said her client had been of good character at the time of the offending, although he had since been convicted of a domestic violence offence. Character references spoke highly of the defendant and he had expressed some remorse, she said.

Wadhwa, formerly of Alton Close, Penhill, appeared in court via video link from HMP Bullingdon.

He was made subject to a 10-year restraining order. 

For support, call Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service (formerly Swindon Women's Aid) on 01793 610610 (24 hours) or visit: swadomesticabuse.org. In an emergency call police on 999. 

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