An expectant father called his unborn child "a little rat" during a campaign of stalking against his former partner and threatened to stab her family. He sent her incessant phone calls, messages and voice notes and bombarded her on social media.
Ashley Brakespear, 24, of Newport, made threats towards the mother of his then unborn son after the breakdown of their relationship. The stalking began when he climbed up the block of flats she lived in on May 24 and banged on her window, a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard on Thursday.
Matters were civil between the defendant and the victim at first, and she sent him videos and recordings of the baby's heartbeat. But from May 28 he sent his ex partner eight voice notes, including the messages "This how I know you're an unfit mother because you can't answer your phone."
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Prosecutor Christopher Evans said Brakespear also threatened to stab the victim's brother who he accused of stealing from him. The defendant added: "I am going to go off, give me back my s*** so I can f** you off, I can f*** that little rat inside you off, I can f*** off your family. Answer the phone you fat little b****."
The victim received 17 calls from a withheld number, and answered three of them but when she realised it was the defendant she put the phone down on him. She did not respond to the voice messages, which made her feel "scared and anxious".
Since August 12, the victim said contact from Brakespear became "non-stop" which made her feel "alarmed and in fear". The messages and calls included threats to the victim's family. The defendant said: "I'm going to f*** you all up" and "I'll stab them all watch, watch me go down on everyone, I'll stab them all."
The victim said the threats made her feel "isolated" from family and friends and she had to take steps to block the defendant on social media. But he persisted in stalking her and made false Facebook accounts in order to contact her.
Brakespear, of Clifton Place, was arrested on August 14 but gave a no comment interview. He later pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm and stress. The court heard the defendant had no relevant previous convictions but was in breach of a suspended sentence order for possession with intent to supply cannabis.
As the victim personal statement was read out to the court, Brakespear sobbed as he appeared via video link from prison. The victim said the stalking had impacted her mental health and suffered with depression and anxiety. She added: "I can't stop thinking about what happened constantly replaying in my head and I'm also not sleeping, I'm unable to shut my eyes because I think of him and what happened.
"I have to be awake in the day to look after my two children. I'm mentally drained thinking about this all night, every night. It's impacted my social life, friends no longer speak to me because of the threats and it's left me feeling lonely with no support except for my family. It's had a huge impact on my family and children." The court heard she had given birth to her and the defendant's son, who is now three months old.
Defence barrister Scott Bowen said his client was generally remorseful and he and the victim had been in touch via letter and were talking about having a civil relationship for the benefit of their son. He said the defendant was a "product of the care system" and wanted to play a constructive part of his son's life. The court heard Brakespear told a probation officer his mental health deteriorated after he was accused of getting another woman pregnant and he "blacked out" for two days during which he sent the messages.
Sentencing, Recorder Christopher Felstead said: "Your behaviour was frankly appalling to (the victim) and whatever excuse you make does not in any way reduce the seriousness of what you did... The relationship you have with your son will depend on how you behave towards (the victim)."
Brakespear was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for the stalking offence. He was sentenced to an additional two months imprisonment for the breach of the suspended sentence, bringing the total to 12 months.
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