A BULLYING taxi driver threatened to kill his mistress when she stood up to challenge his controlling behaviour.

Ibaa Wahbah terrorised Marcella James, threatening to carry out an acid attack on her in Brighton.

After meeting Ms James, he demanded total control in their relationship and tried to “systematically isolate her” and treat her as “some sort of slave”.

This was despite already having a wife and son.

The 30-year-old left Ms James unconscious after throttling her, but she was too terrified to report him.

Wahbah forced Ms James to change her Facebook status to praise him and blamed her friends for “disrespecting” him.

He left her begging for her life and ordered her to kiss his feet as she lay on the floor.

On one occasion she thought she was going to die and she has now been diagnosed with post traumatic stress.

She had to change address twice in order to avoid him.

At Lewes Crown Court, Judge Mark Van Der Zwart called Wahbah “vicious” after he admitted coercive and controlling behaviour in a relationship.

Wahbah was jailed for three years.

Charlotte Morrish, prosecuting, said Ms James met Wahbah, who she knew as “Will” through mutual friends in June last year.

Over the course of a year he tried to demand total control.

Wahbah exacted revenge upon her by destroying her things, including her children’s items including school books.

He also destroyed the only photo she had of her dead mother and spat at her.

When she went to the police he told her: “You’ve got a week, my face will be the last one you see.”

Ms James said: “I’m proud to say that I stood up to him, he tried to bully and intimidate me.

“He did not destroy me.”

William England, defending, said Wahbah, of Mile Oak Road, Portslade, is the son of a Syrian mother and English father.

He has lived between the two countries for ten years and has suffered post traumatic stress after being enlisted in the Syrian army.

Mr England said Wahbah has two sides to his character and urged the judge to suspend a prison sentence to allow his client to seek help.

Judge Van der Zwart said: “Women need to know that they will have the protection and support of the courts if they have the courage to speak out as Marcella James has done.”

The judge gave Wahbah credit for the early guilty plea but said only an immediate prison sentence was justified.

He said: “Shortly after the relationship started you introduced rules on who she could see and what she could do.

“You had absolutely no right whatsoever to make those rules.

“You treated her as if she was some sort of slave who couldn’t move in society without your permission.

“You systematically isolated her.

“She went from being bubbly, outgoing and confident with a normal life to having no life at all.

“When she presented at A&E, you threatened her with acid. That was an appalling threat to make.

“When she was in your home, she was completely at your mercy.

“You demanded in the most degrading way that she kiss your feet.

“Such was the fear she had of you that she did not co-operate with the police.

“That is no crime.

“It was as a result of your bullying and violent aggression towards her.”