Man threatened to hire hitman to kill ex-partner

A PLASTERER threatened to hire a hitman for £10,000 and have his ex-girlfriend killed, a court heard.

Nathan Turner, 27, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to twice breaching a restraining order preventing him from contacting Naomi Cooper.

The pair were together for two years and had a child together but Ms Cooper decided to move back to her mother’s home and the relationship did not last, a judge was told.

The defendant, of Maesteg, Bridgend, was convicted of battery after assaulting Ms Cooper in July last year and a twoyear restraining order was imposed.

Speaking about the breach of the restraining order, prosecutor Jason Evans said: “On January 12 the defendant sent an Instagram message to his ex-partner about him seeing the child.

“But later that day he telephoned her shouting and screaming, calling her a ‘slut,’ and threatened to have her murdered by a hitman saying he’d pay £10,000.

“On January 13 another Instagram post to his ex-partner described her as a ‘dirty slut’ and he made a further telephone call, with words to the effect of ‘you’ll see what I’ll do’ being said.”

Turner was arrested by police and later admitted to breaching the restraining order.

The court heard the defendant had previous convictions for ABH, affray and harassment, as well as the battery of Ms Cooper.

As a result of those convictions Turner is the subject of a 16-week suspended sentence.

Defence barrister Giles Hayes said his client struggled with not being able to see his son.

He added: “He embarked on a course of conduct that would cause concern but there have been no transgressions of the law in the last five months.

“He sees his son every Tuesday and every other weekend and there has been very little contact between the defendant and Ms Cooper since January.

“He has placed himself in a very difficult position but he is working very hard and is trying to be a good father to his children.”

Sentencing, Judge Philip HarrisJenkins told Turner he could not activate the suspended sentence because his breaches pre-dated it.

The judge said: “These two breaches fit into a pattern of behaviour by you against your ex-partner and the mother of your infant child.

“The action you took against her in January this year has caused her great distress and upset but I am glad since this incident there has been no repeated feature.”

Turner, of Caerau Road, Maesteg, was fined a total of £800 after admitting two counts of breaching a restraining order.

He was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £340 in court costs.