A man breached a lifetime restraining order after turning up to his ex’s home and punching her in the face. Teejay Etchells, 25, and the woman were described as having a ‘toxic and damaging’ relationship in which he had previously attacked her.
He was made the subject of a restraining order, banning any contact with her indefinitely, but turned up at her house in February this year. The woman, Shelby Gratty, had previously been convicted of harassment in relation to Etchells, the court heard.
After asking him to leave her alone, Etchells, of Hyde, dragged her upstairs before punching her in the face. She was left with a suspected fractured jaw, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
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Nicholas Roxborough, prosecuting, said that the victim, Ms Gratty, had previously been granted a restraining order after being attacked by Etchells in April 2020. The order prevented him from contacting her, or a member of her family, and banned him from going to her home or work address.
“On February 8 this year, Ms Gratty returned home and as she did, she realised the defendant was waiting for her by the bins of her home address,” the prosecutor said.
“He approached her and shoved her into the address. She began to shout at him to tell him to leave her alone but was ignored by the defendant.”
A struggle took place, during which Ms Gratty was dragged upstairs before she was punched to the right side of her face.
Etchells then told her to ‘stop shouting or the neighbours will call the police’. He then apologised to her as she was ‘crying hysterically’, the court heard.
The police were called by a neighbour and arrived quickly to find Etchells outside the house with some of his belongings. He ran off and was later arrested and recalled on licence.
Ms Gratty went to hospital but self discharged due to the long wait, though doctors initially believed she had fractured her jaw.
In a statement, Ms Gratty said the incident triggered her PTSD and caused her mental health to ‘peak’. She said she was anxious and scared to leave the house, stating she felt like she was ‘always looking over her shoulder’.
“Everyday I am constantly on edge thinking about everything that happened. Although I have a lifetime restraining order, I am very confident he will do this again,” she said.
“It has impacted all aspects of my life and I feel I am back to square one, just as things were getting better, I’m now struggling again.
“I struggle to be around men, I am scared to leave the house, I feel like a prisoner.”
Etchells was said to have 20 previous convictions for 17 offences including for violence and criminal damage. He was jailed for 33 months in September 2020 after attacking Ms Gratty, and so was on licence at the time of the offences in February this year.
Steven Sullivan, defending, said his client, who repeatedly interrupted proceedings, was ‘showing frustration’ at the breach offence due to the fact he had been ‘invited by the complainant’.
“She is maintaining contact with him, writing to him despite the fact the restraining order is there for her protection,” Mr Sullivan said.
“He does not want a relationship with her going forward. He accepts the relationship was toxic, damaging and draining to them both. His intention going forward is to have a relationship with his son.”
Mr Sullivan added that Ms Gratty had previous convictions in which his client was the complainant.
Adding to this, Etchells said: “She’s been sending me pictures of my son, it’s all on my emails. She’s been harassing my family and friends, which she’s got a restraining order for which she’s convicted of.”
Sentencing, the judge, Recorder Michael Blakey said: “The restraining order was imposed to protect your former partner, you breached it by attending and thereafter assaulting her. She thought the protective order imposed by the court would provide her protection.”
Interjecting, Etchells said: “So why have we got a baby together?”
Continuing with his remarks, Recorder Blakey said: “You are still a young man, you had an unhappy childhood. You would have thought that preyed heavily on your mind. It’s not a very good example for your son.
“It’s hoped you make good use of the time in custody and come out a better and changed man and resume your relationship with your son. And become a proper law-abiding member of society.”
Etchells, of Bennett Street, Hyde, was jailed for two years and eight months. The restraining order will remain in place indefinitely.
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