Sunderland man broke pub window at onset of harassment against ex-partner

A man who harassed his former partner and twice breached a court order to stay away from her when their relationship collapsed has been spared jail.

Anthony Russell, 36, of Cricklewood Road, Hylton Castle, Sunderland, also damaged a £400 window at a pub she was at when she failed to arrive home at the expected hour.

But he did not mean to smash the glass and his antics towards her over three months stemmed from inept handling of the break-up rather than intent to harm, prosecutors accepted.

However, his behaviour still led his former flame to fear his presence at her city home and to ponder her safety when out and about, magistrates heard. 

They jailed Russell for 20 weeks but suspended the sentence for two years, telling him they believed he could be rehabilitated.

The South Tyneside court was told he went to the Burn Inn, at Houghton, on Friday, December 23, when the woman failed to answer her phone.

He accidentally though recklessly broke a window by banging on it in a bid to attract her attention, an action that sparked harassment which lasted until April.

Numerous incidents took place, it was stated.

Prosecutor Holly Clegg said his actions led his ex-partner to write a statement to the court in which she highlighted her concerns.

The woman revealed she had been “left feeling very vulnerable” and “in constant fear that Russell will attend my address”.

Russell also twice breached a non-molestation order, prohibiting him from being in contact with her, on Wednesday, July 12 and the following day in Sunderland.

He pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage, causing harassment without violence and two counts of breach of a non-molestation order.

Ms Clegg said: “The guilty pleas are accepted on a basis of plea.

“The victim and the defendant were in a relationship for eight years that the victim states was abusive and controlling. It ended around Christmas 2022.”

Paul McAlindon, defending, said prosecutors accepted basis of pleas on all charges which confirmed no malicious intent on Russell’s part.

He said Russell had expected his partner to return from the pub in good time so he could start an early works’ shift and had gone looking for her when she did not.

Mr McAlindon said contact between them which led to the allegation of harassment had been around phone calls made about the pub incident.

And he insisted the non-molestation order had first been broken by the couple meeting amicably at a hospital to discuss their relationship.

Messages sent between them the next day had also been friendly and on the same subject, he said.

Magistrates jailed Russell for 12 weeks for causing harassment and to eight weeks on each count of order breach.

The order breaches run concurrently to each other and consecutively to the harassment sentence, with no separate penalty for causing criminal damage.

Through a two-year restraining order, he must not contact the woman other than via a third party for child contact or visit her home or workplace.

Russell must complete 30 days of the Building Better Relationships programme and 15 rehabilitation days and pay £402 compensation to the pub and a £124 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.