Man cut up photos of ex-girlfriend and sent them to her

3:40pm Tuesday 8th July 2008

A MAN who had been ordered not to contact his ex-partner later sent her an envelope containing cut up pictures of her.

Craig Richards, of Hunters Close, Droitwich, sent his ex-partner Claire Read the photographs in May.

Richards, aged 22, appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday, having previously admitted breaching a non-molestation order.

The court heard that the couple had split in January and Miss Read had applied for an injunction against Richards.

Rachel Lyle, prosecuting, said Miss Read had allowed Hunter’s mother access to their child while he was in prison, but when he was released and living with his mother he sent her the pictures.

“She opened the envelope and there were photos of just her cut into small pieces,” she said. “One was a family photo and the defendant had cut his face out of the photo.

“At the time she thought it was really weird.”

When Miss Read rang the defendant’s mother to ask why he had done it, he said it was because their relationship had finished.

Later that month Miss Read was on the phone to his mother again and in the background Richards was heard shouting “I hate you” and being verbally abusive towards Miss Read and her new boyfriend.

“She heard him shouting: ‘If I could kill you and get away with it I would’,” said Miss Lyle, who said Miss Read felt threatened by Richards.

In mitigation, Ruth Edwards said Miss Read had continued to see Richards when he was in prison.

“But she found somebody else and didn’t want him hanging around,” she said.

Miss Edwards said Richards sent the photos just to show her their relationship was over and didn’t realise it would breach the injunction.

He also admitted shouting that he hated her as he had been having problems with the breakdown of their relationship.

Miss Edwards said Richards had avoided seeing Miss Read a number of times in town and was getting his life back on track with a job and new interests.

Chairman of the magistrates Ann Griffiths gave Richards a 24-month supervision order and ordered him to take part in a domestic violence programme.

He was also fined a total of £160.

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