MAN AVOIDS JAIL AFTER HORRIFIC THREAT TO MURDER EX IN POWYS
A man has avoided an immediate jail sentence after he threatened to murder his ex-partner.Prosecutor, Helen Tench, told Welshpool Magistrates' Court how Duffield had been at the victim's home and "all was well" until she asked him to take her into the local town for a night out, when he became "short-tempered".
She received messages from him during the evening, culminating in a series of messages at about 1am in which the defendant said, "My head's at its worst", "I will set your car on fire", and said he was "prepared to go to jail".
Ms Tench continued: "He sent the victim a picture of a knife which she recognised as being one from her kitchen at home and a message that said he was ready to show her how much he cared." The court was told how he then sent four videos, and in one he was heard to say, "I will f***ing murder you," and in another, "You think I care about you and young little boyfriends?" He was also seen bleeding from his left hand.
Ms Tench said the victim returned home to find her TV and a bedroom mirror smashed, while some of the windows of her Vauxhall Mokka hire car had been smashed.
Mrs McVey told Duffield that the prolonged period during which the messages were sent, the nature of them, the damage to the victim's property, and the blood left behind were all aggravating factors.
She continued: "It crosses the custody threshold.
Custodial sentences are designed to punish and protect the public, but we feel from your early guilty plea and the pre-sentence report that there is the prospect of rehabilitation." He continued: "He is ashamed of his behaviour and is remorseful over his behaviour and the effect on his ex-partner.
"She has experienced emotional trauma during their relationship, which she takes in her stride most of the time, but this went beyond the pale." Mrs McVey told him: "Let this be a life-changing moment for you."
