Swansea man jailed for breaching restraining order

A Swansea man who bombarded his ex-partner with threatening calls and messages despite being subject to a restraining order has been jailed.

Phillip Ashton, 42, from Swansea, was convicted of stalking his ex-partner last year and made subject to a restraining order preventing him from approaching or contacting her. But on 13 October this year, the victim received a phone call from a withheld number and recognised Ashton’s voice when he said her name.

Cardiff Crown Court heard on Friday that the victim ended the call but received a further 28 calls from the defendant. He went on to incessantly contact her until 21 October, leaving threatening voice messages and turning up outside her home.

Prosecutor Abdul Hussain quoted Ashton’s message, which said: “I won’t be long, I’ll go up there and, swear on my mother’s life, I’ll go ballistic. I’m not going anywhere until I see Bear (victim’s dog) or you. Open the door.”

On 17 October, he messaged the victim: “Answer the f****** door or the door is coming f****** off. Answer the f****** phone because if I come up, watch where it f****** gets you. You f****** rat.”

He added: “It’s worth going back, I’m going to snap your f****** jaw, watch, I am not f****** around, I have gone to jail yeah, and I’ll snap your f****** jaw.”

The defendant also threatened to put her windows through. When arrested, Ashton claimed the victim made up the allegations.

He later pleaded guilty to stalking, harassment and threatening to damage property. He has 17 previous convictions for offences including stalking.

The victim said: “All voicemails, voice calls and texts were unwanted and made me terrifying.” She said she was worried the defendant would steal her dog and is “scared he will kill her”.

In mitigation, Dan Griffiths said his client had been unable to come to terms with the end of the relationship and had been driven by feelings of “frustration and anger”, but he now accepts the relationship is over.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson said: “(The victim) shouldn’t have to live her life like that and you should be thoroughly ashamed you put her in that position. Your threatening and bullying behaviour was completely unjustified.”

Ashton, of Pentregethin Road, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment.