South Shields man damaged ex’s car while repeatedly breaching a restraining order
A South Tyneside man who damaged his ex-partner’s car during a period of repeatedly breaching a restraining order has been jailed.
Graham Martin, 46, is starting 14 weeks behind bars for offences committed between Tuesday, December 23, and Saturday, January 17.
Martin, of Priestley Court, Biddick Hall, South Shields, was filmed by her through the window of her home as he damaged her Land Rover.
She was alerted after hearing a loud ‘bang’ on January 17 and turned to look outside, prosecutor Christopher O’Brien said.
He also breached a restraining order three times by either attending her home or sending her text message, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.
Mr O’Brien said: “The defendant was in a relationship with the victim and a restraining order was granted by Newcastle Magistrates’ Court and is to be in place until 2028.
“The defendant attended the victim’s home address on January 17 at 7.55pm. He was banging on the front door and entered the premises.
“He asked about his children and demanded to know where the victim was. The person at the address contacted the victim, who called the police.
“He later returned to the address. The victim heard a loud bang. She looked through her window and saw the defendant had damaged her Land Rover.
“She recorded what had happened on her mobile phone.”
Mr O’Brien said Martin also went to an address he was prohibited to be at on Tuesday, January 6, adding: “Police attended after a report of ongoing damage.
“They were passed information that someone was in the rear of the garden.
“A restraining order was in place, preventing the defendant from attending that address or from contacting the person who lived at that address.”
Martin pleaded guilty to three counts of breach of a restraining order and one of causing criminal damage.
He has 11 previous convictions from 25 offences, including six against property and was last before a court in November.
David Forrester, defending, said Martin was clearly struggling with his ex-partner being in a new relationship and with leaving his children with a man he did not know.
He said Martin, on the day he committed the criminal damage, had taken his sons to watch Sunderland’s football match and had returned to the woman’s home as agreed.
Mr Forrester added: “She wasn’t there, the man was there. That said, I accept there were messages before. It was bubbling.
“The restraining order has been in place since 2021, and it is for seven years. There doesn’t seem to be any other breach of it. It’s the first breach in four or five years.”
District Judge Zoe Passfield jailed Martin for 10 weeks for two breaches, to run concurrently, and to four consecutive weeks for the third breach, and to four concurrent weeks for the criminal damage.
Martin must pay a £154 victim surcharge.