A 41-year-old Onchan woman has admitted domestic abuse of her partner.

Charlotte Rebecca Dougherty had previously denied the offence but on Tuesday (June 27), the day before her trial, changed her plea to guilty.

The victim said it was as if Dougherty had gone ‘down the rabbit hole’ after talking to a man online and had become a ‘religious fanatic’, as well as violent and scary.

Dougherty bit her partner, demanded that he not drink or eat bacon, made him shave his head, insisted that he stop listening to Queen and David Bowie to study the Bible instead, and would get physical with him if he disagreed with her.

In February, Dougherty became the first person to be charged with the domestic abuse offence under new Manx legislation.

She denied the allegation and a trial was set to take place in summary court on June 28.

A second charge, of common assault, was dismissed after the Crown offered no evidence in light of the guilty plea to the domestic abuse offence.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that the victim had been in a relationship with Dougherty since 2015.

He had given up his job to be her carer as she suffered from health issues.

In February 2023, the victim said that Dougherty said she had started talking to a man online about church, but that he was not sure if the man was actually real.

The victim said that his partner became fanatical and would get upset if he did not believe in certain things.

He said that she became obsessed with religion, demanding that he stop listening to certain music and that he study the Bible instead.

She accused him of sleeping with people and would get him to agree to nonsensical things.

Dougherty made him stop drinking, saying that it was ‘bad energy’, and would call him abusive names.

He said that if he reacted in a way she didn’t like it would make matters worse.

She also made him use money given to him by his parents to buy a magnet for purifying water and made him shave his head, then refusing to let him grow his hair.

The man said that she had also pinned him down, pulled his hair, dug her nails into him, and bitten him, growling as she did it and breaking the skin.

He said that he had to then apologise to her.

The victim said that on another occasion he had been using an Ipad when Dougherty took it off him and hit him on the head with it, then spat in his face and bit his bicep.

Dougherty herself was the one who called 999, telling police that her partner had locked himself in his car and was having a seizure.

He later told police that he had just been wanting to get away from her.

Mr Swain said that the victim had said he still loved Dougherty and had been doubtful about proceeding with the complaint, but had not yet stated whether he wished to continue the relationship or if any restraining order was required.

The court heard that the defendant, who lives at Ballachrink Drive, Onchan, has now been on remand for 21 weeks.

Defence advocate James Peterson said that his client had some underlying difficulties and asked for a probation report as well as a psychiatric report to be prepared before sentencing.

No bail application was made and sentencing is due to take place in summary court on August 1.