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A man who forced a woman to carve his initials into her own flesh during a terrifying week-long ordeal when he repeatedly raped and beat her had wielded dominance and control over a vulnerable victim, prosecutors said. The man, 26, who cannot be named, had been set to face trial but pleaded guilty in April to unlawful confinement, recklessly inflicting actual bodily harm and sexual assault for offences committed against the immigrant woman over eight days last February. Prosecutor Sarah McMurray told an ACT Supreme Court sentencing hearing on Tuesday the offences were in the high range of seriousness and all had occurred in the context of a violent relationship. Ms McMurray argued the episode had been manipulative, humiliating, degrading, violent and terrifying at times for the woman. The man's actions in making his vulnerable victim carve his initials into her arm were meant as a demonstration of his dominance and an exertion of his power over her, she said. Ms McMurray told the court the woman thought she'd met a man who really wanted to look after her but she was now filled with deep sadness and regret over what he'd done. Documents previously tendered in court said the man was drunk and became infatuated with the woman when they met at a Canberra McDonald's store in December 2014. She gave him her phone number and a few days later he told her he loved her and wanted to marry her, persuading her to move in with him. But on the first day of living together, the man forced her to pay for all of their household items and clean the house. She later told him she didn't like how she was being treated, as if she was a maid and he was her boss. He began to threaten her and said he would to cut her head off if she did anything wrong. The woman tried to flee with the help of her estranged husband, but the offender tracked her down and forced her back into his car. Soon after they returned home, the man told her to carve his initials into her forearm with a knife as he sat on the bed and watched. The woman complied out of fear and the cuts made her arm bleed and caused her great pain, court documents stated. In the days that followed the woman grew increasingly afraid as the man forced her to cook him dinner, confiscated her mobile phone and violently raped her multiple times. On one occasion, the man grabbed her by the throat and told her she had to obey him. At other times he threatened to chop off her legs. The woman eventually escaped from a car she'd been forced to wait in and asked a passer-by for help. Police were called and the woman, who was in Australia unlawfully, was detained and later sent to Villawood Detention Centre. The court was told the offender, who has been in custody since his arrest in April last year, did not suffer from any mental impairment and had completed prison drug and alcohol use programs. Justice John Burns said he had grave doubts over the man's assertion he had no recollection of the events. He will hand down his sentence next month. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic or family violence, call the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service 24-hour crisis line on 6280 0900, or phone the Canberra Rape Crisis Line on 6247 2525. In an emergency, call 000. See helpstopdv.org.au.