Stalker threatened to ‘slice face’ of ex during harassment campaign
HE ALSO SPAT AT VICTIM, WHO HAS BEEN LEFT PARANOID BY TERRIFYING 10-DAY ORDEAL
A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE dad-of-three threatened to slice the face of his expartner during a terrifying 10-day spell of harassment.
Nottingham Crown Court heard how estranged Matthew Stuart also monitored her movements at their family home through a Ring camera he had installed.
The 35-year-old then turned up at one of her relative’s addresses, spat in her face and told her he would “put a knife in her neck”.
And in a victim impact statement, the woman told how she is now paranoid and anxious at the thought he will keep coming back and do it again.
Jailing him for 18 months, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “On January 3, 2023, you were given a remarkable opportunity for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm, with a 30-week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.
“For some time you had stayed out of trouble but then you could not resist it any longer.
“(Because) for a 10-day period you bombarded your expartner with unwarranted and unwanted contact, sending her messages and calling her from numbers.
“It is true to say it is not the longest period of stalking, but that fails to recognise just how chilling these messages were.
“Imagine, for one moment, receiving a message not only saying you will ‘put the back door through’ but also ‘I will slice your face when I turn up.’ (The victim) was terrified and utterly and understandably so.
“No man worthy of the name, in any circumstances whatsoever, treats a woman like that.
“It’s despicable and can only result in an immediate sentence of imprisonment.”
Stephen Kemp, prosecuting, said Stuart and the victim had been in a relationship for 16 years and have
No man worthy of the name, in any circumstances whatsoever, treats a woman like that.
Judge Michael Auty KC
three children together.
He said in January, 2023, the defendant was handed the suspended sentence.
The prosecutor said: “On January 24, 2024, at around 11pm, he called her wanting to speak to one of their children, turned up at her address and threw a concrete slab and left her a voice note which read ‘locks and bolts won’t stop me kicking the door through’ and ‘I guarantee I will slice your face.’
“The following day it became apparent that the defendant was monitoring her in the house through a Ring camera he had installed. She said she had taken them down, but he sent her a message saying he did not need the cameras to monitor her. “On January 31, she went to her niece’s house and then received a call from the defendant saying he was coming round. “It is not quite clear how he knew she was there but he did.
“He arrived, drew his fist and threatened to punch her and then spat in her face four times.
“Her niece’s boyfriend intervened and the defendant said ‘I will put a knife in your neck.’” Stuart, of Osberton View, Worksop, pleaded guilty to stalking, common assault and breaching a suspended sentence order.
In a victim impact statement his former partner said: “I fear he will always return to harm me again.”
Sam Lowne, mitigating, said for the first 10 years of the relationship there were no issues between them. But the defendant’s mother died in 2016 and he turned to alcohol “to get over the loss”.
He said: “He loves her, there was no intention of carrying out anything, he would not have wanted to cause any harm to the complainant.”
As well as the prison term, the judge handed Stuart a lifetime restraining order not to contact his ex-partner.