A thug who repeatedly targeted his terrified former partner stabbed both her sofa and bed and stuck knives in her kitchen door during a frightening stalking campaign.
Jordan Archer, aged 21 and who had already been locked up twice for offences involving his ex-girlfriend and was prohibited from contacting her, sent the victim chilling threats on Facebook before letting himself into her home while she was out with a friend.
The police were called to the address and officers twice searched the address but could not find the Blyth brute, Chronicle Live reports.
However, Newcastle Crown Court heard that as the victim's friend went to leave, she searched the property once more and found him hiding underneath a pile of clothes in the bedroom.
While the two women fled, Archer sat outside and said "You want to watch your bedroom, something is going to go off" before using a knife to vandalise and stab both his ex's sofa and bedroom.
He also then took photos of three knives he'd embedded in her kitchen door and sent her them.
Archer, of Winship Street, in Blyth, was on two suspended sentences for two dangerous driving offences at the time and has now been jailed for four years and six months with an extended licence period of three years. He pleaded guilty to stalking, burglary, three counts of breaching a restraining order, possession of cannabis and breaching the suspended sentences.
Paul Caulfield, prosecuting at Newcastle Crown Court, said Archer was initially jailed in May 2020 after he headbutted and punched the victim in a hospital, just three days after she'd given birth to their premature son. The woman moved to Scotland after the attack but, upon release from prison, he tracked her down, made threats and let himself into her home. On this occasion, he recorded himself slashing items within the property, cutting up her pyjamas and making threats to kill her, Mr Caulfield said.
He was later given eight months in a Youth Offenders' Institute in Scotland.
However, Archer refused to leave his terrified ex alone and soon after he was freed from that sentence in October last year, he again turned up at her North East home and tried to gain entry, only stopping when a neighbour called the police.
Mr Caulfield said Archer was arrested and bailed but showed his contempt for the law and his former partner when he again let himself inside her property while she was out shopping with a friend in November last year. The pair fled when they saw him and the police were called on two occasions. They searched the property both times but couldn't find Archer.
Before her friend left, the victim asked her to search the house once more. Mr Caulfield continued: "[The friend] moved a pile of clothes and a bloodied hand fell out the pile. The witness was terrified and she, her boyfriend and [the victim] ran from the premises, followed by the defendant.
"After a while, the defendant returned to the address and picked something up from a unit as he passed. As he left, he sat on the rear fence and shouted "you want to watch your bedroom, something is going to go off"." When officers once more attended, they found the victim's home had been vandalised and the knives stuck in the kitchen door. Chillingly, he then sent her a photo of the embedded knives on Facebook.
The court heard that the victim was soon made aware on her phone that her bankcard was being used at a garage nearby and she realised Archer had stolen it and nine bags of shopping.
Archer was arrested and gave a false alibi in interview. He admitted most the offences but initially denied the stalking charge, however, he later changed his plea.
In a statement she read to the court, the victim said she considered Archer to be "extremely dangerous" and she lived in constant fear. She added: "Had my house not been checked that night Jordan was hiding, he would have killed me."
Jonathan Cousins, defending, said Archer suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, due to negative experiences in his childhood, and from ADHD. Mr Cousins told the court: "He's struggled with substance misuse, which began when he was 13-years-old, and that undoubtedly has arisen as a result of his childhood."
Mr Cousins said Archer had now matured, showed "proper remorse" and was willing to engage in treatment for his mental health and drug and alcohol issues.
Recorder Anthony Dunne told Archer that he found him to be a dangerous offence. During his sentencing, he said: "It seems to me (the victim's) belief you were to cause serious harm or kill her is entirely understandable."
In relation to the stalking, he said: "For that offence it seems to me that contact on that was edited to maximum for the distress on the part of (the victim). Your contact was persistent on the 9th November 2021. You must have been in (the victim's) home for hours, where you were hiding there and managed to remain undetected even though police visited the property twice and took statements from (the victim) and her friend as you hid upstairs."
Recorder Dunne also activated his previous suspended sentences and ordered him to serve the 10 months before starting the new sentence.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
