Leeds stalker who made ex-partner's life a 'misery' told to accept the relationship is over

A Leeds stalker who made his ex-partner’s life a “misery” has been ordered by a judge to accept the relationship is over.

Michael Loughrey was jailed at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to harassment by breach of a restraining order.

Prosecutor Danielle Beaumont told the court how the 54-year-old was made subject to the order, against both his ex and her new partner, after being convicted of stalking without fear in November of last year.

Loughrey, who has 16 convictions from 40 previous offences, had been in a relationship with the woman for 10 years before it ended in 2021. They share five children together, the court heard.

Ms Beaumont detailed how, a little over a month after the initial order was put in place, the defendant began messaging his ex, saying that he missed his children.

He texted her again on both Christmas Day and his child’s birthday, and said he “didn’t care” if he got arrested.

Loughrey, of no fixed abode, then began posting statuses to WhatsApp in which he described the woman’s new house as “nice” and said that he knew the details of her car.

The defendant later posted a picture of his ex-partner with her late mum and another captioned “nothing will stop me seeing my children.”

Following his arrest, he falsely claimed to police that he thought the restraining order was only against his ex’s new partner.

In mitigation, defence counsel Lily Wildman told the court that this was a case “clearly all about wanting to see his children and struggling without them.”

She told the court this was the first time in his life that her client had suffered from depression, and he was taking steps to tackle his alcohol use.

Ms Wildman added that her client, who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, had engaged well with social services and “wants to get his life back and fathering nature back.”

Judge Ray Singh rejected the defence’s claims and said “using the excuse of your children is unforgivable,” before describing the texts as “sinister” and “designed to frighten her.”

He sentenced Loughrey to 12 months in prison and made him subject to a new 10-year restraining order, preventing him from contacting his ex or her new partner, directly or indirectly, and from posting about them on social media.

“You made her life an absolute misery, you do not care one bit about her or her children,” Judge Singh added. “The relationship has come to an end - get it through your head.”