A 22-year-old man has been jailed for three years and nine months after repeatedly assaulting a woman and defrauding victims of thousands of pounds.

Connor Lockwood, 22, of Godalming, was sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on Friday, March 27, after pleading guilty to four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of grievous bodily harm, possession of a bladed article, theft from a shop, three counts of fraud by false representation and money laundering.

Surrey Police began investigating Lockwood in June 2025 amid concerns he was physically assaulting a woman known to him.

Officers established he had subjected the victim to sustained abuse over several years, including punching, kicking and stamping on her. He also extinguished a cigarette on her, leaving a permanent scar, and later struck her on the head with a broom handle, causing significant injury. The abuse left her terrified and isolated.

In July 2025, Lockwood was arrested after threatening a man with a knife in a pub in Godalming. Officers worked overnight to interview him and prepare a file for the Crown Prosecution Service, securing charges the following day for both the knife incident and domestic abuse offences. He was remanded in custody and remained there until sentencing.

A parallel investigation by Surrey Police’s Economic Crime Unit found Lockwood had used dating apps to scam victims out of thousands of pounds. He built relationships before claiming to be in financial difficulty and asking to borrow money. One victim was defrauded of £7,500. The money was then laundered through multiple bank accounts.

In a statement, the survivor said: “The physical harm that Connor caused me will live with me forever. I still struggle with sleep and worry that I always will struggle. I still have flashbacks and nightmares as sometimes I still wake thinking I am back there and that he is attacking me. I worry it will impact relationships in the future as well, as I don't know how I can trust anyone or feel totally safe again.

“I don't like going out by myself as because of Connor I lost all confidence and independence as he made me feel so low. I don't think an animal deserves to have been treated the way he treated me but that's how I feel like I was treated - like an animal, and even now I struggle to be spoken to and treated nicely. I am trying really hard to move on from what happened, and I want to do whatever it takes, I just don't want the physical and emotional pain to stay with me forever.”

Detective Constable Carina Jewell, who led the domestic abuse investigation, said: “It was incredibly brave of this survivor to come forward to police and share her experiences at the hands of Lockwood, who had been abusing her for years. Ensuring she felt supported and listened to throughout the process was the most important thing for me. Deciding to give a statement or speak with police is a huge step, and we went at her pace, helping her to share her story when she was ready to do so.”

DC James Vernon, of the Economic Crime Unit, said: “Lockwood’s behaviour was despicable, and the devastating impact of his actions was wide reaching, also affecting the victims he scammed out of thousands of pounds. By working closely with all the people he impacted, we have been able to get this dangerous and manipulative man off our streets.”

Surrey Police said support is available for anyone experiencing domestic abuse and urged people concerned about someone’s behaviour to seek help.