39. (1) A person commits an offence where he or she knowingly and persistently engages in behaviour that—

(a) is controlling or coercive,

(b) has a serious effect on a relevant person, and

(c) a reasonable person would consider likely to have a serious effect on a relevant person.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a person’s behaviour has a serious effect on a relevant person if the behaviour causes the relevant person—

(a) to fear that violence will be used against him or her, or

(b) serious alarm or distress that has a substantial adverse impact on his or her usual day-to-day activities.

(3) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both, and

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.

(4) In this section, a person is a “relevant person” in respect of another person if he or she—

(a) is the spouse or civil partner of that other person, or

(b) is not the spouse or civil partner of that other person and is not related to that other person within a prohibited degree of relationship but is or was in an intimate relationship with that other person.