MAN STRANGLED HIS PARTNER THEN WROTE BEGGING HER TO DROP CHARGES, THEN HE PAID HER A VISIT
Simon Thomas, 57, was accused of intentionally strangling his partner and subsequently sent her a letter from prison urging her to drop the charges.After being convicted and given a suspended sentence, Thomas visited her home on the same day, where he displayed verbal aggression.
At Cardiff Crown Court, it was revealed that on May 16, Ms Deborah Williams received a letter from Thomas that included details of his solicitor's firm, advising her to call them and withdraw the charges.
The letter also warned her against attending his court appearance scheduled for May 20.
Prosecutor Hannah Head recounted that on June 13, Thomas was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months, for deliberate strangulation.
On the same day, he was released and visited Ms Williams' address.
He stayed briefly at her home before returning a week later, on June 20.
During this second visit, Ms Williams allowed him inside briefly to maintain peace.
He left shortly after but returned later in the afternoon, appearing intoxicated.
Despite an initial calmness, he became verbally aggressive and refused to leave, leading her to contact the police.
Officers arrived after he had already left, but he called her five minutes later.
They advised him to stay away, yet he rang the intercom later and was arrested.
During arrest, Thomas claimed he thought his actions were innocent and considered police instructions to stay away a joke.
Ms Williams’s victim impact statement, read to the court, detailed her current mental health medication, sleep disturbances, and occasional panic attacks, along with her desire for a peaceful life.
Defence attorney Ben Jones stated that Thomas, previously housed in council accommodation, had lost his residence and risked homelessness upon release.
Jones also emphasized Thomas’s involvement with his grandchildren and his efforts to better himself through educational courses during custody.
Thomas, of Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, has three past convictions for four offences.
Judge Richard Kember sentenced him to two years and four months: 18 months for witness intimidation, nine months for breaching his suspended sentence, and one month for harassment.
The judge specified that activating the custodial sentence was appropriate given the circumstances, and a six-year restraining order was issued against Ms Williams, along with a statutory surcharge.
