'Obsessed' Portsmouth stalker dodges jail after threatening to 'smash' ex-girlfriend's future lovers

Stalker Ashley Twells bombarded his former lover with ‘unwanted messages’ over Instagram after their ‘on-off’ love affair of 10 years ended.

Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard how Twells’s campaign of abuse took a more sinister turn for the worse over the summer, last year.

The 34-year-old, of Blackwater Close, Cosham, confronted his former partner – a mother-of-two – on eight different occasions at her home in Paulsgrove between August 30 and September 12.

He has since received an eight-week jail term, suspended for a year, after pleading guilty to stalking without fear, alarm or distress.

In a statement read by prosecutor Rhys Evan, the victim said she had suffered ‘a number domestic and physical abuse situations’ during their decade-long relationship.

‘I’m suffering from anxiety and in fear of what he will do next,’ she said. ‘I’m having to live with all my doors locked and windows shut.

‘I’m constantly on edge and fear that he will turn up. It is worse when Ashley drinks – and this is most weekends.

‘I have moved out of the home that I was living with him in to get away from him.’

The woman added: ‘Ashley is so unpredictable and he scares me. He is obsessed with me in the lengths that he goes to. I have had to change my mobile telephone number, my daughter’s number and I’ve had a gate reinforced to stop him getting in.

‘I want him to leave me alone and move on.’

The court heard how booze-loving Twells turned up ‘unwelcome’ to his former partner’s address on August 30, last year.

When he arrived, Twells threatened his ex-partner and warned her he would attack any of her future partners.

Prosecutor Mr Evan told the court: ‘He attended on August 30 at 1pm and said to (the victim): “You little rat, why are you living up here...I will smash everyone you get with.’

Defending, Sarah Hallett said Twells had since accepted his relationship with his former lover was over.

She told the court that being remanded in custody for almost a week had been a ‘wake-up call’ for Twells, who was now seeking help for his alcohol abuse.

Ms Hallet told the court: ‘Mr Twells found the end of the relationship particularly difficult to deal with. There are two children involved. He readily accepts now, looking back, that he should have realised the upset and the harm that he was causing.’

She added there had been no incidents between him and his former partner since September.

District Judge Roderick Hine suspended Twells’s prison sentence for a year but warned if he breached any of the conditions set by the court that he could face ‘up to five years’ behind bars.

He said: ‘You pleaded guilty on the day of your trial so you’re entitled to some credit but not very much.

‘You have a history of abuse of this person. That in my judgement ups the stakes in this case.

‘I’ve heard the victim impact statement (and what she) says about how she feels about you and how scared she is of you. Because of that, my judgement is this passes the custody threshold and you will go to prison for eight weeks but that will be suspended for one year.’

Twells, dressed in a black jumper and grey jeans, was issued a restraining order for two years, and must pay back £938 in costs and fines. He was also ordered to attend 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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