LEON JAMES, CARN BREA THREATENED EX-PARTNER
A BUILDER who obsessively stalked his ex-partner and threatened to kill her if he ever saw her with another man told her that if he couldn't have her then nobody could.Leon James, 36, from Carn Brea narrowly escaped being sent to prison when he appeared in custody before Judge Anna Richardson at Truro Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday (April 19) and a ten-year restraining order was sought.
The court heard how James, who pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm/distress, had repeatedly harassed and threatened his former partner after the end of their relationship between October 3 last year and January 3 before he was arrested and remanded in custody.
Nick Lewin prosecuting told the court how at one point James made 150 calls a day to the woman from an undisclosed number after she blocked him on her mobile.
He threatened suicide and told her that he would kill himself if she wouldn't get back with him.
On one occasion she felt pity for him she told him her location in Tesco, and he immediately arrived and started following her around the store and harassing her, at one point slapping her on the bottom.
On a number of occasions he told her that if he couldn't have her then nobody could and that he wished she would die and called her a whore and "c**t".
He said if he saw her he would run her over and sent her messages saying "RIP bitch" and saying if he saw her with another man he would kill her.
When she refused to take his calls he rang one of her work colleagues and demanded that he be put on speaker phone which her colleague refused to do.
Her colleague told the woman that she should go home but as she was leaving she saw him in his car and he immediately pulled a U-turn and pulled in front of her causing her to stop and he was "extremely aggressive" to her through the window.
He only left when she pretended to record him on her phone.
On October 24 the police spoke to him and told him not to contact the victim.
He immediately called her aggressive and angry that she had called the police saying: "You are mine, no one else can have you.
I don't want other people looking at you, I don't want people to touch you." He also drove to her address and sat outside with his hand continuously sounding the horn until she was forced to come out and see him.
At one point he made contact with her personal trainer and threatened to kill him as he was convinced they were having a relationship.
After he made another threat to kill himself she agreed to see him and he immediately made sexual advances and flashed his penis at her "repeatedly".
He also threatened to post "intimate" images of her online, something he had been convicted of doing against another partner in 2017 and received a two year suspended sentence.
He repeatedly told her to "go and die" and called her a "lying c**t".
Following a number of phone calls to his victim on January 7 this year when he told her he hoped she would die he was arrested by the police and a domestic violence order was imposed by Truro Magistrates' Court.
On January 14 he again threatened to post intimate pictures of her online and was rearrested and fined £100.
Still he continued with his harassment and sent her voice messages saying she was a "whore" and a "c**t" and that he would "make her life a living hell".
On February 28 she was pursued by James whilst driving along a road in Truro.
In a victim impact statement the woman said the impact on her life had been dramatic.
She was permanently anxious, did not feel safe in her own home or normal routine when she went to the gym or to the shops.
She said the harassment had also had an extreme impact on her daughters.
Robin Smith defending said despite the horrendous actions of James, the probation service in its pre-sentence report thought he showed genuine remorse and wanted to change.
He also had glowing character references from friends and work colleagues.
James was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months with 24 months supervision, ordered to take part in the Building Better Relationships programme, complete 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and a three months Trail monitoring order.
He was also ordered to pay £3,000 compensation to his victim payable in six months A restraining order in amended terms was sought for ten years.
There was also a surcharge of £156.
