Holmes, 43, from Bolton, was sentenced to 14 years and three months after a jury found him guilty of four counts of rape.

He had previously pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while denying the rape allegations before his trial.

Greater Manchester Police said the abuse occurred over a period of two years and involved repeated sexual violence, physical assault and controlling behaviour.

The survivor told the court that Holmes had “systematically ruined” her life, describing how the abuse had transformed her from a confident woman into what she called a “mere shell.”

She said she had previously been independent, enjoyed a successful career and had an outgoing personality before the relationship and abuse fundamentally altered her life.

The woman’s victim impact statement described the continuing psychological consequences of the abuse and the additional distress caused by having intimate details discussed publicly during court proceedings.

She also described the prolonged legal process as deeply difficult, saying repeated hearings created anxiety about whether Holmes could be released and potentially approach her again.

According to prosecutors, Holmes repeatedly forced the woman into sexual activity despite her refusals and requests for him to stop, with the abuse continuing over an extended period.

Police said Holmes also isolated the survivor from friends and family, monitored her movements and repeatedly checked where she was while exercising control over her daily life.

The court previously heard that Holmes pressured the woman into creating an OnlyFans account, which prosecutors said he controlled and used to generate money.

According to evidence reported during the trial, Holmes operated the account from his phone and pressured the woman to publish increasingly explicit material online.

The woman later described feeling ashamed after intimate material was circulated online, adding another layer of distress to the abuse she said she had experienced.

The case has drawn attention to coercive control and technology-facilitated abuse, particularly circumstances in which victims are pressured into producing intimate material for financial benefit.

Greater Manchester Police said Holmes continued to deny the rape allegations after his arrest in October 2025, while also blaming the survivor for what had happened.

A jury ultimately found him guilty of all four rape charges following his trial, while the earlier guilty pleas covered controlling and coercive behaviour and assault.

Detective Constable Paul Milligan thanked the survivor for coming forward, saying her decision to support the investigation had helped bring the case before the courts.

The court also heard that Holmes had previously been convicted of assaulting another woman in 2023 and received a suspended prison sentence.

Judge Jon Close reportedly imposed the lengthy sentence after considering the circumstances of the offending, including what was described as cruel and intimidating communication.

Holmes was also given a restraining order lasting 20 years and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life following sentencing.

The survivor said she wanted the public to understand that the shame belonged with the person who had chosen to abuse her, rather than with herself.

The case has highlighted the lasting effects that sexual violence, coercive control and online exploitation can have on survivors long after the offending itself has ended.

 

 

 

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Holmes is now serving his sentence after the jury’s convictions, while the survivor’s statement has provided the court with a detailed account of the personal consequences she says followed the abuse.