A mum told the father of her son to 'watch what happens' in a tirade of messages threatening to harm her four-year-old child. Natalie Kelly was struggling after breaking up with Paul Bowden while pregnant with her second child, Minshull Street Crown Court heard on Tuesday (July 26).
The court heard that the 27-year-old, from Harpurhey, had been shouting at her former partner and 'making a scene' on April 27. But it was a series of abusive and threatening messages which she sent to Mr Bowden which struck fear in the father.
Among a string of messages designed to 'provoke a reaction' from her ex, Kelly wrote 'answer me or your son won't be here' and warned him to 'watch what happens'. Prosecuting, Kate Gaskell told the court: "The majority of messages revolved around their son and what she would do to their son."
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Mr Bowden was concerned that the boy was going to be harmed by Kelly following the messages, the court heard. Defending, Laura Broom said social services had already become involved with the family following after an 'incident of violence' in January, and the boy has been living with his father since the incident on April 27.
Ms Broom said: "She ended her relationship with Mr Bowden in January following an incident of violence while she was pregnant with her second child. Social services first became involved as a result of that.
"However, as with many relationships, it was not easy for her to cut ties. She found the breakup to be extremely difficult because she was carrying her child.
"She accepts she was angry with him. She does suffer from depression and says at this time she had forgotten to take her medication, however she does not seek to use that as any excuse for her behaviour.
"She maintains that she does not mean anything that she said - the threats were empty. She was trying to get some reaction from him. She did demonstrate an understanding of the impact of her behaviour on Mr Bowden."
Ms Broom added that Kelly has no previous convictions and entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity. She told the court that both Kelly and Mr Bowden are now 'keen to share custody' of their four-year-old son.
Sentencing Kelly, of Wembury Street North, Judge Recorder Mark Rhind QC insisted it was 'hard to understand how any parent can send those messages'. He added: "I don't know the history of this relationship - who has hit who.
"I'm not really equipped in this hearing to find out if you are a perpetrator of domestic violence or if you are a victim, but I do know what happened on April 27. It's quite clear that you lost control, you were angry, you were aggressive and you were threatening Paul with violence.
"You were following him, you were making trouble essentially and shouting at him, making a scene. But in terms of this offence, you sent threatening text messages - threatening him, trying to get in contact, trying to provoke a reaction.
"Mindbogglingly, you went much further than that - you issued threats against your own four-year-old son. You must be and should be utterly ashamed of doing that, using your son not just as a tool to get a reaction, but making Paul think that you were causing serious harm or even killing him."
Kelly pleaded guilty to sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.
Judge Rhind said that pregnant Kelly, who suffers with depression and anxiety, has a 'low risk of reoffending' and that the couple's separation through bail conditions 'has calmed things down'. He issued an 18-month community order with 25 rehabilitation days and 80 hours unpaid work.
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