Man threatened to ‘slice up’ his ex and made fake profile on dating website
A MAN threatened to “slice up” his ex-partner among a series of sinister messages to her.
Michael Holmes, of Norman Street, Ilkeston, threatened to kill the mother of his daughter after he thought she had spoken to his new partner in July last year.
The 41-year-old also set up a dating profile in her name encouraging people to contact her and bombard her with unwanted sexual advances.
Holmes pleaded guilty to harassment without violence and sending communications conveying a threatening message at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court. Peter and no definite plan for the unclaimed love locks when they have been removed.
“Since 2012, many people have attached love locks to the bridge, not only lovers and friends and newly married couples but if you look carefully you will see tributes to dearly-departed relatives and the names of stillborn children.
“The purpose of the Facebook group is to find a way forward with the council for an alternative to the bridge for attaching love locks and to put in place a system of future management, which will be acceptable to visitors and locals alike.”
The idea that the locks could be
Bettany, prosecuting, told the court Holmes had begun to send the messages after beginning a new relationship with another woman.
“He told her on July 28 he was now seeing somebody else,” Mr Bettany said.
This precipitated her receiving a text message from him on July 31 “accusing her and a friend of messaging his new partner”.
“He said ‘I will kill everyone if owt happens to her.’
“She contacted him to ask what he meant. He replied ‘you are dead, I will slice you up.’
“She became increasingly nervous and intimidated by him.”
This was followed by a fake dating profile set up in her name which led removed and scrapped has caused anger among some people on the social media site.
One person suggested they should be sold for scrap and the money given to charity but someone else suggested giving people a chance to collect their locks rather than have them cut off.
Jan Rogers wrote: “My sister and her husband loved Bakewell, they both passed away within a few short weeks of each other in 2016. There is a padlock in memory of them on the bridge.”
Pam Disdel said she wants her lock back and wrote: “We have gone to Bakewell for years after putting our lock on the bridge. It’s a shame to numerous unwanted messages from strangers.
“It would appear that a dating app has been used, in which a picture of her was put up encouraging people to contact her day and night for sexual services paid for by beer,” Mr Bettany said.
“This has led to a number of messages being received. Over the period of August 17 to August 25 she received withheld calls.”
The court heard that one of these calls included the message “slag, you’re dead”.
“She didn’t think it was his voice, but it seemed to be related to the profile that was put on the dating app,” Mr Bettany said.
“The defendant was interviewed
Derbyshire County Council wants to remove the love locks from the Weir Bridge in Bakewell so it can carry out maintenance work. They would not be put back
they will lose tourists. It’s what keeps us coming back each year for holidays because our lock is on there.”
Gemma Tompkins wrote that she was “gutted” and said: “We got married at the town hall and put our padlock on the bridge and we don’t have the keys.”
Love locks were traditionally a padlock inscribed with the initials of two lovers, attached to a public fixture and the key thrown away to symbolise unbreakable and everlasting love. Around the world, cities from Moscow to Rome are filled with fences, bridges, and poles adorned with padlocks.
When the county council informed and he admitted that he had been sending messages.
“He said he was doing them because he was concerned about the quality of care of their daughter.”
When asked if he would like to say anything to the court before being sentenced, Holmes said: “I do apologise.”
Magistrates gave Holmes a oneyear restraining order, meaning he can only contact his former partner through his mother, social services or a solicitor, and only to discuss the visitation rights of his daughter.
He was also told to pay an £80 fine, £85 in costs, a victim surcharge of £95 and was ordered to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Bakewell Town Council of its plan to repair the bridge, it was suggested that the locks would be removed and stored at the Derbyshire County Council depot for several months to allow owners to collect them.
But a Derbyshire County Council spokesman said: “We need to carry out some routine maintenance on the bridge and would need to remove the locks to do this work.”
“However, while the work is needed, it is not urgent, so we are in discussions with Bakewell Town Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council about the work, and what to do with the padlocks after they have been removed.
“No decisions have been taken yet and we will do all we can to promote the work in advance to give people a chance to collect their locks.”
A Derbyshire Dales District Council spokesman added: “As the county council is responsible for the bridge and right of way, we wouldn’t necessarily expect to be consulted.”