A MAN emptied the medicine out of his partner's pill capsules and gave her empty shells to take.

It was an action that "could have jeopardised her life", Adam Guy Burgess was told by a judge at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Wednesday.

Burgess, 49, of Royal Street, Sandown, admitted controlling and coercive behaviour within an intimate relationship.

A charge of theft of medication and a charge of theft of £800 from the victim were left to lie on the file.

Burgess was jailed for 30 months and will serve half on licence. He had already served nine months in custody while awaiting sentence.

Puneet Grewal, prosecuting, outlined the facts for the court.

She said Burgess was only in a relationship with the victim for two and a half months. Burgess was caring for the first two weeks, before things changed.

The victim suffered ill health and reduced mobility and Burgess started calling her a 'spastic'.

She trusted him with her finances but money went missing from her bank account.

He started collecting her medication and giving her tablets to her, but the victim started feeling ill and had seizures.

Miss Grewel said at first the victim couldn't understand why she was getting so ill when she was taking her medication, but on inspecting the tablets, the capsules were empty.

She suspected Burgess was behind it.

Burgess kept saying he was going to kill himself and the victim felt obliged to stay with him.

Miss Grewel said Burgess had previously been given a caution in 2018, relating to the ending of a previous relationship.

The victim's impact statement was read out in court, in which she said the situation had caused her upset and distress after Burgess brought 'all this trouble to my door'.

She said: "I felt like an idiot. I felt like I had to support him when he said he wanted to commit suicide so I felt pressured into taking him back."

Defending, Jonathan Underhill, pointed Judge Malcolm Gibney towards a probation report, and a medical letter referencing Burgess's mental health difficulties.

He said the time already spent in custody had 'levelled him out' and he had shown a degree of acceptance and understanding.

The probation report found a 'low level risk' of Burgess reoffending.

Also in his favour was his guilty plea, albeit on the first day of his trial, which saved the victim having to give evidence.

Burgess was also made subject of a ten year restraining order not to contact the victim.