Controlling ex-boyfriend sentenced to nine years after abuse and rabbit-flushing scandal
Nicholas Cash received an eight-year term for domestic abuse and a further 16 months for bail breaches after fleeing to Thailand and being extradited back to Britain.
A Bournemouth man, Nicholas Cash, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to eight years for a campaign of domestic abuse against Olivia Croft and an additional 16 months for breaching bail conditions and a suspended sentence. Over ten months, Cash inflicted physical injuries, locked Croft in their home, shot her with a BB gun and forced her to overdose on pills, while also controlling her appearance and communications.
The abuse escalated when he flushed Croft’s rabbit down the toilet, prompting her to involve police. Cash fled to Thailand in October 2022, claimed illness to avoid trial, and lived with a new partner and child before being tracked down and extradited after three years. He spent nine months in a Thai prison before his return. Judge Nigel Fuller noted Cash’s deliberate attempt to evade justice and ordered the lengthy custodial term.
Why it matters
The case highlights the seriousness of coercive control offenses and the challenges of international extradition.
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