An army veteran who bombarded his ex-partner with calls, messages and hid in a bush before intercepting her as she walked to work has been jailed.
Stephen Young, 46, had been sent to prison weeks earlier for stalking the woman, with whom he had been in an 18-month relationship.
Young had also been served with a two-year restraining order, banning him from getting in touch with the woman and going anywhere near her Carlisle home.
The city’s crown court heard he was then released from custody on June 24.
In the hours that followed, and into the following day, Young bombarded the woman with calls and messages, switching to email and then social media platform TikTok when she attempted to block more than 150 unwanted contact attempts by him.
Young also intercepted the woman in person on her way to work as he emerged from a bush in which he had been hiding. He later sent a message which stated: “One day I will win. I will keep trying.”
In an impact statement, the woman had said: “I don’t know when it will stop. I just count down when he is going to be released and think ‘I’m going to have to go through this again’.”
After his arrest, Young admitted stalking without fear of alarm or distress; and three restraining order breaches.
The court heard he had convictions for similar offences, dating back several years and relating to different ex-partners.
A defence lawyer said Young, previously of Carlisle’s Southwell Square, had penned a letter expressing genuine remorse.
Young was an army veteran who saw active service in Iraq, Serbia and Afghanistan, but latterly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Alcohol misuse had worsened mental health problems.
Yet the lawyer said Young was motivated to address his issues.
But, imposing an immediate 16-month jail term, Judge Michael Fanning said: “Bluntly put, when in drink, you cannot resist offending against domestic partners.”
Judge Fanning also said to Young: “You accept alcohol is your destructive demon. Until you develop the motivation and ability to resist it, you will remain an ongoing menace to your partners.”
