A WOMAN who married a " pure monster" that repeatedly raped her has spoken out about how he turned her life into a "nightmare".

Jonathan Mealing, of Wellbeck Close, Whitefield, was sentenced at Minshull Street Court last week for 17 offences affecting three women, including rape.

He met all of his victims using dating sites, including his first victim Jennifer, who said he first contacted her on the site Plenty of Fish in October 2016.

Jennifer, from Bedfordshire, who has waived her right to have lifelong anonymity to speak out about how terrible her life with him was, was aged 36 when they met and was baffled Mealing got in touch as he lived so far away.

But she was taken aback by how friendly he was at first.

She said: “I was a confident and bubbly person and he was like ‘Prince Charming’ when I first met him. He was the most wonderful bloke you could ever meet.”

A couple of months afterwards, Jennifer, who worked as a patrol manager at a Centre Parcs site, said Mealing asked her to move up to Whitefield with him.

Once living with Mealing, she said he started taking control of her finances, diet, what she wore and demanded sex regularly.

Jennifer added: “I was a size 18 to 20 when I met him and within six months I was down to a six to eight.

“He limited my food to four pieces of chicken and teaspoons of boiled rice a day and I was only allowed to drink water. He was starving me because he wanted me to lose weight.

“People said I looked like Skeletor.

“He made me destitute and spent my money on his cigarettes, coffee and clothes. He took away my ID too.

“He bleached my hair twice a week as well.”

Bury Times:

Jennifer, before she met Jonathan Mealing, at a fundraising event

Bury Times:

Jennifer shortly after finishing the relationship

Jennifer said among the shocking sexual acts, she remembers waking up at night to find him having sex with her.

When she asked him what he was doing she was told to “shut up” and “it’s your duty”.

Jennifer said Mealing convinced her to get married to him in November 2017 at Bury Registry Office, telling her it would help with contact to his family.

A month later she suffered a miscarriage but the following year she gave birth to their son.

After he continued to abuse her, she broke up the relationship in March 2019 and reported him to police later that year.

He carried on his shocking acts with two more women, the court heard on Friday.

Judge John Potter sentenced him for 30 years with a further eight years to be spent on licence.

Mealing must sign the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life too.

He still continues to deny committing the horrific crimes.

Bury Times:

Jonathan Mealing

Jennifer added: “People who know me said they should have done something about it.

“I got used to being controlled and I thought maybe he will stop doing what he was.

“You never knew what his demands were going to be from day to day.

“I was just an object that he controlled. It was like living in hell.

“It was a nightmare and he really got in my head and said he was the only one that loved me and said my family were against me.

“He is a genuine pure monster. He is just evil.”

Jennifer, now 41, said she was unaware of Mealing’s previous conviction relating to domestic violence, which she believes she should have been told about it and has recently carried out Clare’s Law training.

She has also praised the support she has received following her harrowing experience and has gone on to start a happy relationship.

Bury Times:

A recent picture of Jennifer