Violent and controlling bully who abused woman is jailed

Friday, January 23, 2026

The man pictured is 39-year-old Daniel Halstead and he is controlling, he is violent and he is a bully.

The good news is he is now off the streets of Lancashire, thanks to the bravery of his victim and officers from our East Response Team.

Halstead first assaulted his victim by strangling her inside a property in Accrington in January 2019. Although the victim didn’t report that incident at the time, Halstead committed an unrelated assault later the same day for which he was convicted of and jailed.

The relationship between the pair continued when Halstead was in prison and after his release. However, the victim ended it in September 2023 when she found out that Halstead was having an affair.

Halstead attempted to rekindle the relationship in 2023 and would shower his victim with gifts and declare his love for her, despite people telling the victim that he was seeing other people behind her back.

However, Halstead’s behaviour towards the victim became more hostile towards the end of 2024 after a second woman he was seeing became pregnant.

Halstead would threaten the victim in person, over the phone and via text message. On one occasion he told the victim in front of her son that if “any single man comes near you, you’ll both end up in a box.”

The victim was so scared of Halstead that she was constantly anxious, struggled to sleep and became physically ill. That resulted in her losing a significant amount of weight, going from a size 14 to a size six.

On 8th March 2025 Halstead followed his victim to her friend’s house. He then left her a voicemail asking her where she was and where she was walking to. She returned home after around an hour and Halstead was parked outside. He began shouting at her, and questioning where she had been and who she was with. He told her that she needed to stop playing games with him as she: “wouldn't like the outcome.”

The following day, Halstead bombarded the victim with unwanted contact when she was at a local pub with her family. He was constantly messaging her and leaving voicemails telling her to stop playing games with him and that he was waiting outside her house. 

Halstead later messaged the victim, questioning where she was. Such was her fear, the victim felt she had to prove she was in the pub, so sent him a photograph of herself.

On Valentines Day 2025 Halstead attended the victim’s workplace with flowers. He then bombarded her with messages, to the extent she felt like she had to message him and thank him for the flowers to keep him onside.

He went on to send her numerous messages suggesting that he had been watching her. In one he wrote: “Just watching you lol, it's nice when you don't know I'm there haha.”

On another occasion, he questioned if the victim had bought a new dressing gown. This led the victim to believe that he had been watching her through her windows.

On 16th March 2025, Halstead attended the victim’s son’s football match and an argument ensued. Halstead squared up to the victim, put his head against hers and pushed her back with his head. He also swung a punch at the victim’s mother.

Halstead, now of no fixed address but formerly of Park Street in Accrington, was arrested in the early hours of 18th March and later charged with engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour, assault by beating and making threats to kill.

Following a trial at Preston Crown Court in October, Halstead was found guilty of engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour, non-fatal strangulation, two counts of assault by beating and two counts of making threats to kill.

He returned to the same court today (23rd January) where he was sentenced to eight years. A lifetime restraining order was also put in place.

In a statement to the court, the victim wrote: “Emotionally I am suffering a lot from finally finding the courage to report the abuse that I have been suffering for years. At the moment, I feel that I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder and worry about when Danny will next arrive at my home address or the constant phone calls and messages to check on my whereabouts and movements. I am still a nervous wreck, I am not eating, I am now managing to sleep at night because I feel safe in knowing that he is currently away from me in prison.

“I recently attended my local GP for help and they have diagnosed me with severe anxiety and depression and I am now medicated to help with this.”

She continued: “I know that this has made me ill, I am not the person that I used to be, I found myself as a person again when he went to prison. Simple things from spending time with family and friends and not having to explain my actions and what time I would be home.”

PC Carl Guest, from our East Response Team, said: “Halstead is a controlling and cowardly bully who sought to mentally, physically and emotionally dominate the victim through a sustained campaign of abhorrent behaviour.

“His criminal conduct has clearly had a profound and lasting impact on his victim, and she has shown a great deal of bravery and strength in breaking free from Halstead and reporting what he had done to the police. I want to praise her for that, and trusting us to listen to her, believe her and bring Halstead to justice.

“Halstead is clearly a dangerous individual with warped attitudes towards women. I welcome today’s sentence and hope the victim can now begin to rebuild her life, free from Halstead’s tyranny.”

If you or anyone you know is in a relationship and something doesn’t feel right, we would encourage you report it online via https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk or call 101. In an emergency or if a crime is in progress always call 999.

For help and support, visit https://noexcuseforabuse.co.uk

Specialist support for anyone in Lancashire affected by domestic abuse is available through Victim Support. Their specially trained professionals,  funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, will listen to and support victims in a non-judgemental way, prioritising safety and confidentiality. Further information is available at victimsupport.org.uk/lancashire.