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Coleman says Boyle’s violence got worse as captivity wore on

Apr 2, 2019 | 10:52 AM

OTTAWA — Joshua Boyle’s estranged wife is detailing in court today his increasingly unsettled state as their time as hostages in Afghanistan wore on, and her hope the beatings she suffered in captivity would end with their release.

Caitlan Coleman is undergoing a second day of cross-examination, in which defence questions have focused on whether Boyle was violent before, during and after the couple were kidnapped in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group.

Upon returning to Canada in fall 2017 after their high-profile rescue by Pakistani force, there were two weeks when Coleman says Boyle stopped being violent towards her, raising her hopes that he would stay that way.

Instead, she says, trouble started anew.

Questioning is now focusing on the couple’s BDSM sexual activity, which Coleman says she agreed to only because Boyle didn’t want to hear no for an answer.

Boyle, 35, has pleaded not guilty to several offences against Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement that allegedly took place after the couple returned to Canada.

The Canadian Press