A serving prisoner sent ‘hundreds’ of menacing and threatening videos to his ex from his cell in a sick stalking campaign. Jonathan Hardman, 35, acquired a phone whilst serving time in HMP Forest Bank for an assault on another prisoner, and began bombarding his former partner with messages and videos.
In one three-and-a-half minute video sent as a ‘repercussion’ for the woman going shopping, he said: “It’s not hard for me to do what I have done the other day to get your attention. You little f****** valve. You deserve a good f******** battering, girl. You are a vindictive little slag, like your little girls.”
Prosecutor Phillip Hall told Manchester Crown Court that in the video Hardman displayed ‘menacing and unhinged’ behaviour, and was mocking and taunting her, as well as being abusive towards her and her children.
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In another video played to the court, the woman had taken a screen recording of a FaceTime call she’d had with Hardman, during which he was topless, was 'frothing at the mouth' and hit himself in the face. When she showed it to the police officer upon reporting the matters, she said: “This is what I’m scared of.”
The court heard that the woman had not provided a statement in support of the prosecution, but Hardman pleaded guilty to offences of stalking involving serious harm and distress, possession of a mobile phone whilst in prison and unauthorised use of a mobile phone in prison. He was today (June 9) jailed for seven-and-a-half years with an extended licence period of four years.
It started as a 'dream' ... but soon turned into a nightmare
Opening the case, Mr Hall said the couple had been in a relationship for three years, and when it first started it was a ‘dream’ and she 'fell under his spell'. She said he put her on a pedestal and made her feel better about herself.
“He was aware of the domestic violence she had suffered from her ex-partner,” Mr Hall said. The woman suffers from a number of physical and mental vulnerabilities including bi-polar and anxiety for which she takes medication and she has battled with an eating disorder from a young age. She has also previously had a hysterectomy, the court heard.
She reported matters to the police in September 2021, which was captured on body-worn footage. She explained that Hardman had access to mobile phones while in prison from which she would ‘persistently’ receive messages from him using different numbers and social media accounts, she explained that she could no longer put up with the behaviour and that she was scared of him.
“She explained that she would make excuses for the defendant, she thought he was a changed man and so she stood by him despite receiving disclosure under ‘Clare's Law’. Eventually she was told by social services that she was at risk of losing her children if she continued her relationship, as a result she finally had the courage to end the relationship in August 2021,” the prosecutor said.
Whilst in prison, Hardman sent messages threatening to ‘send people through her door’ to ‘get her’, made threats to kill her and would use multiple phone numbers and social media accounts to message her. She said she didn’t have any friends as she ‘wasn’t allowed any’.
He would demand money from her, and send intimate pictures of other women he alleged he was speaking to, to make her jealous. He also threatened suicide which the prosecutor said was a way of manipulating her into feeling sorry for him.
He sent the woman numerous abusive messages calling her names such as ‘slag’, ‘prostitute’ and said: ‘hope you get aids.’ He repeatedly ridiculed her struggles with anorexia and mocked the fact that she had a hysterectomy by saying her body was ‘broken’.
He threatened to ‘ruin her life’ and in other messages said: “Can’t wait to show you not to f*** with me everything will be unleashed when I get you”, “you will get what’s coming to you” and “you’re seriously going to get your teeth smashed in.”
Hardman also sent the two videos which were played to the court, in which he displayed ‘menacing and unhinged behaviour’, Mr Hall said. During a further 999 call to the police, Hardman could be heard in the background making threats over the phone.
The woman did not provide a victim impact statement, but in the body-worn video she said she felt 'depressed’ and would cry herself to sleep. She said his behaviour had caused her to go ‘doolally’ and said her ‘mind was scrambled’.
She added that she would ‘rather take a smack than suffer any more emotional abuse.
Previous convictions for violence against women
Hardman was said to have 26 previous convictions for 47 offences including a breach of non a molestation order against his former partner, witness intimidation and violent offences.
In 2017 he was jailed for causing grievous bodily harm against a woman. It was said Hardman and another former partner had gone to a birthday party in Little Hulton, during which he became abusive towards her and ‘belittled her’.
The woman said to his then-girlfriend that she ‘shouldn’t put up with it’ to which Hardman replied: “You need to batter her now or I’m going to f****** kill you.” His partner refused, and he raised his fist and said: “F****** batter her now or I’m going to f****** kill you.”
She then began to punch the woman, before Hardman handed her a rolling pin and she hit the woman with it. He then later struck the woman with the hammer. His former partner was ‘under his control’ and was later convicted alongside him for the assault, the court heard.
Whilst serving his 43 month sentence, Hardman went on to attack another prisoner, punching him once and causing grievous bodily harm, and was sentenced to 25 months in prison in December 2019. It was during this period in prison that he committed the stalking offences against his ex-partner from the day he was jailed to September 2021.
Mitigating, his barrister Kevin Liston said his client had become ‘institutionalised’ after having been in prison almost for a full nine years, save for six months which he has spent in the community. “That is his own doing,” he said.
He said Hardman had issues stemming from his childhood including a number of family bereavements, disruptions in his education and problems at home that caused him to migrate towards ‘negative peers’.
“This led him into drug use, alcohol use and a criminal lifestyle. Following a report from a psychologist, he has concluded that Mr Hardman suffers from significant emotional disturbance,” Mr Liston said.
"You are a wicked man"
Sentencing him as a 'dangerous offender', Judge Anthony Cross QC said: “I find it is a fact that the reason why she has not cooperated with the prosecution of this offence is because she is quite simply terrified of you and what you will do to her if she would cooperate.
“This was a campaign of bullying and manipulation. You waged that campaign against your victim from a prison cell.
“You are a wicked man, of that I am absolutely sure. In the video I have seen, at times you seem to glory in the violence you feel able to perpetuate to anybody.
“What these offences indicate are that you are a man who inflicts violence against women. You are a very dangerous man.”
Hardman, of Kingsley Road, Worsley, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years, with an extended licence period of four years. He will have to serve a minimum term of four years and nine months before he is considered for release by the Parole Board. He was also made the subject of a restraining order indefinitely.
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