Nigerian-born rugby player, Daniel Igbinedion jailed for subjecting his former girlfriend to horrific abuse

Nigerian born professional rugby player, Daniel Igbinedion, has been jailed in the UK for subjecting his former girlfriend to abuse and even threatened to kill her.

26-year-old Daniel Igbinedion was convicted of controlling and coercive behaviour and three charges of assault in October.

The former West Yorkshire rugby league player was sentenced to three years and three months in jail on Tuesday, December 21.

Katy Lyles, 35, suffered repeated attacks by Igbinedion over two years, Bradford Crown Court heard.

The court also heard that Igbinedion dragged the insurance broker out of a club and tore off her SmartWatch so she couldn’t dial 999 before threatening her with a blade.

Lyles who was in a relationship with prop forward for 18 months, spoke out about her horrific ordeal.

Speaking after sentencing, she said when she met the the former Castleford Tigers, Featherstone Rovers and Dewsbury Rams player she believed he was a “decent guy” but  quickly became “possessive and jealous.”

The powerfully-built Igbinedion had first met Katy when he became her personal trainer at her local gym.

“About six months into our relationship he became physically violent, and showed me that he had a very evil side to him,” she said.

“He made threats which made me scared of what he would do to me and my family. He held me prisoner and followed me everywhere.

He proposed to me and even promised that he would never harm me again – if I accepted a promise ring from him. I rejected his proposal and then, months later, he tried to kill me.”

Igbinedion, who was arrested in December 2020, carried out the abuse between May 2018 and March 2020.

Jailing Igbinedion for three years and three months, Judge Hatton said: “I have to deal with you for this sustained course of conduct including gross offences of violence against a background of controlling and coercive behaviour.

“This whole catalogue of offending was so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified for it.