Thugthreatenedtotorch home of his ex’s mother
A WOMAN received threats from her daughter’s ex-boyfriend after their relationship came to an end when she learned about his convictions for domestic violence.
He became irate after social services became involved regarding his unborn child and said: “If I can’t see the child, nobody is.”
Simon Riddell, 31, of Fernhill, Mountain Ash, had been in a relationship with his ex-partner for 10 months but it came to an end in the middle of last year.2
After she had become pregnant, social services notified the defendant’s ex-girlfriend he was not allowed to be around children due to previous cases of domestic violence, and she was advised to end the relationship.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday heard Riddell became aggressive following the end of the relationship.
On June 19 last year, he called his ex-partner and was “irate” social services were involved and he may not be able to see the baby. He said: “If I can’t see the child, nobody is.”
The defendant later attended his ex-girlfriend’s mother’s home and accused her of “sleeping around” and threatened to “cave her skull in”.
He added: “I’m going to burn down your house”.
On June 21, the victim was asleep in bed when she was woken by a loud bang in the garden after Riddell threw a food bin at a window sill.
He later messaged his ex-girlfriend and told her: “I hope your mother has strong windows. Look, I’m going to take the door clean off its hinges.
“F ****** muppets. When I said it was unsafe I meant it, that house is f ***** . I’m going to pull her eyes through her a***.”
Riddell was arrested and later pleaded guilty to threatening to damage property and harassment.
The court heard he has six previous convictions, and was subject to a suspended sentence for assaulting an emergency worker and battery, for which he was given six months’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months.
In mitigation, defence barrister William Bebb said his client’s offences were “not planned, committed on impulse and of low sophistication”.
He said the defendant looks back with “bitter regret” on how he acted, after slipping back into alcohol use following the death of his nephew.
Judge Niclas Parry, sentencing via
video link from Mold Crown Court, said: “These were nasty threatening offences involving serious threats of damage including burning down a property.
“You left your victim feeling anxious in her own home.”
Riddell was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.
He was also made subject to a restraining order for three years.