Legal first as stalker gets 10 years for manslaughter after his ex kills herself
A STALKER who drove his ex-partner to suicide with abusive voicemails, texts and Facebook messages has been jailed for ten years for manslaughter.
Former soldier Nicholas Allen was ‘obsessive and controlling’ during his relationship with Justene Reece, then tried to contact her almost 3,500 times after they split up.
The 47-year-old set up a fake Facebook profile and even offered a reward of £1,000 for sightings of her.
Allen bombarded her with texts – including 300 in one day alone – and stalked five of her friends. He eventually tracked her down and turned up at her
‘Frightened to leave the house’
home, banging on the windows. Weeks later, Miss Reece, 46, took her own life.
The Laura Ashley shop assistant left a note saying she had ‘run out of fight’ following six months of threats.
Allen was charged with controlling and coercive behaviour and stalking. But the Crown Prosecution Service later charged him with manslaughter, saying he caused Miss Reece ‘significant psychiatric harm and directly contributed to her death’.
It is believed to be the first time a stalker has been held liable for the suicide of their victim and prosecutors say it could set a precedent for future cases.
Allen, who worked as a mechanic, admitted manslaughter last month and was jailed yesterday.
Imposing a 15-year extended sentence which includes ten years in jail and a fixed five years on licence, the Recorder of Stafford, Judge Michael Chambers QC, said Allen’s conduct was ‘disturbing’.
‘You clearly caused her to lose her life and before that to experience, over a protracted period of time, what must have been a living nightmare,’ the judge told him. ‘It is not suggested you intended at any time that she should die but clearly you intended that she should suffer serious psychological harm. She committed suicide as a direct result of your sustained and determined criminal actions.’ Allen, of Rugeley, Staffordshire, was ordered not to approach any of Miss Reece’s family or friends and banned from having more than one mobile phone. Andrew Smith, prosecuting, told Stafford Crown Court Allen had previous convictions for offences against women dating back to 1998, including death threats, head-butting an ex-partner, and a threat to set fire to the home of a victim’s father.
Allen and Miss Reece had known each other since they were teenagers and met up at a scooter enthusiasts’ event in 2015.
Within three months Miss Reece had left her husband for the exsoldier but he became obsessive, abusive and controlling.
Mr Smith said: ‘His behaviour was typified by taking her keys and money from her, locking her in the house and trapping her in certain rooms … On two separate occasions he put his hands around her neck and stopped her leaving … Having said she wanted to leave the defendant whilst at a friend’s house he was constantly calling and texting … hundreds of calls and messages.’
Allen called Miss Reece 3,473 times from September to February and left 319 voicemails which were ‘threatening or abusive’.
Mr Smith added: ‘On September 22 she texted Allen to say, “I am exhausted … ill, scared and very confused but I am suffering – a home is not a home when you are frightened in it”.’
The court heard she was forced to change her phone number five times in the month before her death. Miss Reece fled Stafford to a Women’s Aid refuge in the North East but Allen stalked five people close to her in a bid to find her. He even turned up at her estranged husband’s home.
Mr Smith said: ‘ She believed Allen had offered a £1,000 reward for any sighting of her.’
In January she took an overdose of medication, before taking her own life on February 22.
After learning of the suicide, Allen searched the internet to find out whether he could be held legally responsible for it.
In a statement, the victim’s family said she changed from ‘bubbly and loving’ to someone who was ‘frightened to leave the house’.