Ex partner of persistent Leeds menace fears for safety after repeated restraining order breaches
A woman says she still fears for her safety as her ex refuses to leave her alone, despite being put on a restraining order.
David Garside was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week after breaching the order, despite the judge telling him that prison has failed to deter him.
The 57-year-old made threats to the woman while the “ink was hardly dry” on his last breach, for which he received a 12-month suspended sentence in June.
On that occasion he also received a five-year restraining order and a six-month GPS tracker attached to his leg to monitor his whereabouts.
The court heard that on August 25 the woman received a text message from Garside, telling her he wanted his plug back. He turned threatening telling her: “I want what’s mine. See what happens.”
The woman contacted the police and Garside, of no fixed address, later turned himself in. He admitted knowing the terms of the restraining order, but refused to answer subsequent questions.
In a victim impact statement, the victim - who previously told a court she thought she would be murdered by Garside - said she now fears he would turn up at her home and was “looking over shoulder” when she was out of her house.
She said that Garside’s GPS monitoring comes to an end next month and added: “I have a real fear there will be nothing to stop him from coming round.”
Mitigating, Emily Hassell conceded: “His best and only mitigation is his early guilty plea. He knows he will receive a custodial sentence.”
Judge Tom Bayliss KC told Garside: “You are a man in your 50s, it’s clear that the relationship with the complainant that has led to you coming before the courts.
“The ink was hardly dry on the order before you contacted her again.”
He activated the full 12-month suspended sentence, and gave him an additional two months for the latest breach, meaning a total of 14 months in prison.