Controlling Leeds partner ignored court order and rang woman 34 times in an hour
A controlling boyfriend who stopped his partner from seeing friends and family rang her 34 times in the space of an hour, despite being banned from contact.
Lewis Watson admitted a charge of coercive control and breach of a non-molestation order at Leeds Crown Court this week.
The 22-year-old was given a community order having spent the last five months being held on remand.
The couple started a relationship in 2018 and he would tell her she was not permitted to meet family or friends.
They had a child together, but the woman returned to live with her mother in October 2021.
Following the breakdown of the relationship, she took out a non-molestation order against Watson to stop him contacting her.
In August 2024 she received a call from an unknown number, but recognised Watson’s voice when she picked up the phone. He told her he wanted to see their child.
She told him he should not be contacting her. After hanging up, he rang another 34 times, prosecutor John Hobley said.
The court heard that Watson, of Hepworth Avenue, Churwell, has three convictions for six offences, including three previous breaches of the non-molestation order for which he received a jail sentence.
Mitigating, Rukhshanda Hussain said both Watson and his partner had been very young at the time and both were living at Watson’s parents.
She said there has been no contact since the last breach and said that he “seems to have learned his lesson”.
Judge Howard Crowson gave Watson an 18-month community order, told to complete 25 rehabilitation days with probation and given a five-year restraining order.