Threatening stalker followed Leeds ex and bombarded her with calls and messages
A man who refused to believe his relationship was over stalked and followed his ex partner, as well as bombarding her with calls and messages.
Conrick Stapleton was given a lengthy jail sentence at Leeds Crown Court after spending months making the woman’s life a misery.
He would turn up at her home or when she was out with friends and was suspected of being responsible for an attempt to torch her car.
The 31-year-old had been previously given a non-molestation order before a restraining order was put in place, but it failed to deter him.
He admitted two counts of breaching of a restraining order and stalking with fear of violence. He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he has been held on remand for the last seven months.
The court heard the relationship ended in 2022, and the 10-year restraining order was imposed in February 2023.
But at the start of 2024 he began to contact her on Instagram and persuaded her to rekindle their relationship. But just three months later he reverted to his old behaviour, being jealous and abusive.
She ended the relationship again, but he continued to email her, being abusive and emotionally manipulative by threatening suicide.
He would call her from withheld numbers, telling her he knew where she was. Stapleton came to her home and her mother’s address and turned up at the pub where she was with her new partner.
He made it clear he did not want her new partner near their son, and made threats against her family. In September last year the woman became so scared she went to live with her mother, fearing what he would do.
On one occasion she found a black bin liner on her car and petrol can nearby. She said it looked like someone had tried to set fire to the bag on her car, suspecting it was Stapleton.
Realising he was wanted by police, he handed himself in at the station on November 24 last year, and then gave a prepared statement during his interview, denying all matters.
Stapleton, of Copper Beach Avenue, Bramley, has four previous convictions for nine offences, including harassment.
Mitigating, James Holding said that Stapleton owned his own roofing business which would be put at risk if he were to be jailed.
He said he had a difficult upbringing, being “physically chastised” by his father, and there was a possibility that he had both PTSD and ADHD.
He said: “The root cause is clearly the inability to accept the relationship is over.”
He said Stapleton now accepted it was over, recognises how difficult it was for his ex partner and that he was genuinely remorseful.
But Judge Ray Singh questioned his remorse, pointing to his initial denial at court.
He told Stapleton: “It’s only on the day of trial do you decide to plead guilty. I’m afraid I do not accept that you are remorseful. The only person you have any sympathy for is yourself.”
He jailed him for 43 months and activated five months of an existing sentence, making a total of 48 months. The restraining order will also remain in place.