PERRY O'BOYLE FROM WELLINGBOROUGH SENTENCED FOR STALKING AND THREATS INVOLVING UNBORN BABY

A man from Wellingborough has been sentenced to prison after a harrowing campaign of stalking, harassment, and intimidation directed at his former partner. Perry O’Boyle, aged 29 and residing on Townsend Close, engaged in a series of increasingly alarming actions that culminated in threats to shoot her unborn child, leaving her in a state of constant fear and distress.

According to court proceedings at Northampton Crown Court, O’Boyle and his ex-partner had been in a relationship for approximately 18 months before they separated in June 2019. Despite their breakup, they continued to live together for some time, which led to escalating tensions. The situation reached a breaking point in July when, during an attempt by the woman to leave the shared residence, O’Boyle violently shoved her against a door. The following day, his behavior worsened as he verbally abused her, threw her belongings over a fence, and explicitly demanded she never return to the property.

After she moved out on July 31, the harassment intensified. O’Boyle gained access to her social media accounts by hacking into her phone, changing passwords, and sharing private images and messages with her friends and family. He also posted intimate content on social media platforms, further violating her privacy. Disturbingly, he claimed to have leaked a sex tape involving her, which he alleged had gone viral, adding to her humiliation and fear.

His malicious actions did not stop there. O’Boyle contacted her workplace under false pretenses, attempting to gather information about her schedule. In the early hours of a subsequent morning, he tracked her down and threw a brick through her window, narrowly missing her head. CCTV footage captured him outside her home wielding a large piece of wood, shouting, “Are you dead yet?”

Further evidence presented in court revealed that O’Boyle had sent explicit images to the victim’s mother and impersonated her in text messages, falsely claiming she was dead and using drugs. He also sent threatening messages and voice notes, vowing to violently assault her and track her whereabouts. Despite being arrested four times, O’Boyle was released on bail three times, during which he continued his campaign of harassment and intimidation.

In November, after discovering that she was pregnant by a new partner, O’Boyle threatened her with a shotgun, stating he had the weapon and warning he would “shoot the kid out of you.” Police eventually seized his devices, uncovering a substantial amount of abusive messages and evidence of account hacking. Although initially denying the charges and forcing the victim to testify, O’Boyle later pleaded guilty to charges of stalking and breaching bail conditions.

The victim described feeling ashamed and violated, having to leave her job and community due to the relentless abuse. She explained that the ordeal had severely impacted her mental, emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing. The court was also informed that O’Boyle had a criminal history comprising 12 previous convictions for 28 offences, including a recent assault on a subsequent partner. His defense cited a knee injury and substance abuse issues as mitigating factors for his behavior.

Judge Crane characterized O’Boyle as “jealous and suspicious,” emphasizing that his victim had “feared for her life.” As a result, he sentenced O’Boyle to 40 months in prison, with the requirement that he serve half of that term before being eligible for release on license. Additionally, a restraining order was issued, prohibiting him from contacting the victim or her mother and from approaching within 100 meters of them for the next seven years. O’Boyle appeared at the sentencing via videolink from HMP Peterborough, where he watched the proceedings with arms folded, showing no visible emotion.