Before the appalling murders of Elinor O'Brien, Regan Tierney and Jessica Patel, a similar pattern had been emerging behind closed doors.
All three women - who died at the hands of their partner or former partner, had seen every part of their lives controlled by the person supposed to love them most.
Elinor O'Brien, who was killed by her sadistic boyfriend, Kevin Mannion, at his Manchester city centre flat in August last year, had been subject to controlling and coercive behaviour throughout their relatively short relationship. READ MORE: 'I was told I'd never have children - then something incredible happened' Mannion, over 25 years her senior, stabbed the 22-year-old to death following a row about how a woman he'd also been seeing had revealed she was pregnant.
During her 10-year relationship, Regan Tierney was also subject to coercive and controlling behaviour, as well as intimidation, verbal abuse and physical violence, at the hands of her ex-partner Daniel Patten.
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