Dad threatened ex partner after being arrested
JON MACPHERSON
AFATHER-OF-TWO threatened to ‘slap up’ his ex-girlfriend after being arrested for criminal damage, a court heard.
Martin Shaw attended the victim’s house in Accrington on two consecutive days in February this year, and on both occasions damaged a window.
Burnley Crown Court heard the 25-year-old was reported to police and officers found him at Accrington library, where he was using a false name and library card identity.
He later sent the victim a ‘plethora’ of unwanted text messages which included threats to ‘crack her jaw’ and ‘slap her up’.
Shaw, of Pansey Street South, Accrington, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, obstructing a police officer, fraud, harassment and breaching a suspended sentence order.
He was given a 12-month community order with a three-month curfew, a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a five- year restraining order.
Lucy Coulson, prosecuting, told the court how Shaw had been in an ‘onoff relationship’ with the victim and that they ‘weren’t together at the time of the offences’.
The court heard how when Shaw was found at Accrington library and asked to identify himself he gave a false name to officers which ‘correlated with his library card’.
Miss Coulson said: “It was very quickly established that it was Mr Shaw and in fact a fake library card.”
The court heard that following his arrest he sent a series of text messages to the victim and ‘a number of them were quite offensive in tone and quite threatening’.
In a victim impact state- ment read out at court, the ex-girlfriend said she was now feeling scared and apprehensive, not going out, struggling to sleep and had stopped socialising with friends.
Rachel Cooper, defending, said the reason he had the false library card identity was because he was banned from the library as a teenager.
The court heard how he was given a suspended sentence order in March this year for breaches of a community order, but that he only completed seven out of 180 hours unpaid work.
She said: “He just didn’t take the order seriously and didn’t prioritise it and accepted he should have done.
“He wants to get his life together.” ‘FROLICKING Pete and The Fumbling Fingers Concertina Ceilidh Band’ will be the star attraction at a school charity night.
Veterans in Communities have invited the group to entertain guests at a ceilidh night at St Christopher’s High School in Accrington.
It will be held on Friday, September 29, from 7.30pm.
Tickets cost £7.50 for adults and a family ticket for two adults and two children under 16 costs £20.
To book call 01706 833180.