A man threatened to smash his girlfriend’s window in a booze-fuelled rant over FaceTime before turning up at her house. Paul Clancy, 38, had been in a relationship with his partner for several years but problems arose following his issues with drinking alcohol.
Matters came to a head on January 1 of this year when an argument broke out after Clancy consumed alcohol. He was ‘not made welcome’ and instead went to sell his Xbox to a friend, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
At around 9.30pm she received a FaceTime call from Clancy, who threatened to ‘put her windows through’, prosecutor Lisa Boocock said. “He later attended her address at 11.45pm, shouting abuse and kicking at her door.”
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This was overheard by her next door neighbour who described the commotion as feeling like her ‘house was shaking’ and said the noise woke up her children, and said it went on for around ten minutes. He was refused entry to her house and the police were called.
Clancy was arrested and admitted to making the threats but said he never carried them out. The court heard that the couple are planning to stay together, and so no victim personal statement was made.
Clancy, of Rochdale, was said to have an ‘unenviable’ record, with a number of previous convictions for battery, breaching of non molestation orders and criminal damage offences in respect of former partners. Ms Boocock added that the relationship became ‘volatile’ through the consumption of alcohol and there was a period of time where the pattern of behaviour was ‘very volatile’.
“It’s clear there was retaliation for something that the complainant said,” Hayley Bennett, mitigating, said. “He said something he deeply regrets.
"This was not some manipulative plan - it was said in the heat of the moment.” She added that her client has been out of trouble since 2015 and said that his partner was a ‘good influence’ on him, and he wished to go back to that and move forward.
Sentencing, Recorder Jon Close said Clancy had an ‘appalling record’ of convictions for domestic violence related offences. “I have read your pre-sentence report with a degree of caution. It’s said you minimise your alcohol use and you minimise the impact of your behaviour,” he said.
“It seems you have a long standing problem in relationships which result in you causing damage or making threats. Your risk of offending increases when alcohol is added to the case. “There is a relationship between you and she wishes it to continue,” the judge added.
Clancy, of Meadow View, was sentenced to six months imprisonment which was suspended for 18 months, 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirements, and was ordered to complete the Building Better Relationships Programme
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