‘Obsessed’ Portsmouth ex-boyfriend who threatened to kill and ruin woman’s life dodges jail for second time

As reported in January, jealous Louie Carley, 21, deployed ruthless tactics that left his ex-lover feeling ‘scared’ as his efforts to win her back became more menacing. Portsmouth Crown Court heard his ‘controlling and manipulating’ behaviour descended to dark threats the woman believed could be carried out.

Carley, who admitted a charge of putting a person in fear of violence through harassment, was told by judge William Ashworth in January: ‘The simple fact of relationships is each person has to be free to leave and join. After yours ended you still felt you had power and authority to determine what she did and didn’t do.’

But for a probation recommendation, the judge said he would have locked up Carley, of previous good character, but was willing to give him a ‘chance’. Instead, Carley was given eight months jail suspended for 18 months, 20 rehabilitation days, 100 hours of unpaid work and told to attend a building better relationships programme. He was also given a five-year restraining order.

READ NOW: People in dock

The sentence came after Carley, of Shearer Road, Fratton, embarked on his campaign to win back his love he had cheated on by repeatedly turning up at the address they had shared after keeping a key despite being removed from the tenancy in December 2020. A subsequent incident on May 7 saw bricklayer Carley turn threatening. ‘He let himself in and refused to hand back the keys and became aggressive accusing her of sleeping with other males,’ prosecutor Martyn Booth previously said.

The following day the woman escaped to a friend’s house before returning home to find the wardrobe had suffered £100 of damage. After changing the locks, the victim was then told: ‘You tried to ruin my life. I will kill you and ruin your life.’

Amid fears she was seeing someone else, Carley issued a chilling warning: ‘If you get someone else in the house I will murder them.’

Mr Booth added: ‘She was scared of him when he was aggressive and thought he was capable (of doing what he said). He had been at the house four times in the previous week picking up belongings. It was part and parcel of him trying to maintain a presence in her life she did not want.’

Carley called the woman ‘not a fit mum’ and a ‘skinny little rat’ and grabbed her arms and shoved her back during another incident.

Despite only being sentenced January, the court heard on Thursday that Carley breached his suspended sentence order by failing to attend probation appointments in February and March. However, apart from those breaches Daniel Reilly, defending, said Carley’s ‘engagement had been positive since a period of difficulty’.

Judge Timothy Mousley KC also remarked that apart from the two breaches the defendant had been doing ‘quite well’ and had completed 55 hours of his unpaid work. The judge opted not to jail Carley and handed him an extra 15 hours of unpaid work and told him to pay £95 for the hearing. ‘I’m not going to activate the suspended sentence but it will remain there for another year. I do not expect to see you back in court,’ he said.

SEE ALSO: Man charges over sex assault