Preston man launched campaign of abuse at ex including crashing his car into hers

Lee Evans was also banned from entering the Cottam area of Preston for the next five years as part of a restraining order after he subjected his former partner to what the city's Crown Court was told was a terrifying onslaught of abuse which left her scared to leave her house.

Recorder Katie Jones sent the 38-year-old to prison for a total of 21 months after he pleaded guilty to a charge of sending an electronic communication with intent to cause anxiety and distress.

He also admitted dangerous driving after deliberately ramming into her car at a busy junction in Preston and possession of a quantity of cannabis, discovered when police arrived at his home to arrest him.

The judge told him: "Your conduct was clearly intended to maximise her distress. You left her, unsurprisingly, terrified and completely drained by the abuse. You made her feel like you wanted to destroy her life."

The court heard that Evans, of Inkerman Street, Preston, had been in a "toxic" relationship with the woman for around six years. They had parted two years earlier, but he continued to be "obsessed with what she is doing in her life."

He was said to have a "dreadful" criminal record which comprised 94 offences going back to juvenile court in 1998. Amongst them were offences of domestic violence against the same victim, said Recorder Jones.

Also there were previous offences of dangerous driving, possession of Class A drugs, robbery and possessing an imitation firearm.

Barrister Patrick Williamson, prosecuting, said the woman, who lived in the Cottam area, had been subjected to a barrage of messages and calls after he managed to log on to her personal email account. He also sent her messages on social media.

Doorbell footage played in court showed him outside the front of her house ranting and raging and calling her abusive names. The visits left her feeling "tearful, anxious and stressed."

Mr Williamson said: "She fears leaving her house. He sent her videos of her back door. And when she does go out he follows her and begs her to take him back."

The woman said: "I've not done anything to make him do this to me. I know he wants to destroy my life physically and mentally."

The prosecution also described an incident which had happened at a busy road junction next to the Lane Ends pub at Ashton when Evans deliberately reversed into the front of the woman's car, leaving her with injuries to her chest and shoulder, as well as whiplash.

A witness said he then drove off by mounting the pavement - despite the presence of a marked police car at the junction - and disappeared driving into oncoming traffic. It was then that police visited his home and found cannabis.       

Beverley Hackett, representing Evans, said her client had an "unenviable record going back a long time."

She said the couple's relationship had been "turbulent" but Evans had been engaging well with prison authorities since he had been held on remand and he had recognised his wrongdoing.

"He recognises it is really time to start engaging because if he doesn't deal with his criminality then backward and forward (in and out of prison) he will go. He is looking forward to being rehabilitated when he comes out."

Recorder Jones said she would impose a restraining order prohibiting Evans from making any contact with his ex-girlfriend and banning him from the Cottam area for five years. She explained: "I think five years gives a sufficient period of time for emotions to calm down."

She added: "You were in a relationship for quite some time - six years. But she had ended that relationship some two years before this because she considered it to be toxic, to use her words.

"You didn't appear to accept in any way that the relationship was over and you gave the impression of being obsessed with what she was doing in her life.

"You have frequent and multiple convictions for offences committed against her. She feared leaving her house because of your behaviour. She was worried about what you would do behaving in an aggressive manner."

The judge sentenced Evans to nine months for sending an electronic communication with intent to cause anxiety and distress. She gave him an additional 12 months for dangerous driving to run consecutively. And there was no separate penalty for the cannabis charge.

In addition to the restraining order she disqualified him from driving for two years and two weeks, with the requirement to pass an extended test before he can get back behind the wheel.