A WINSFORD man ‘love-bombed’ and ‘gaslit’ his ex-partner with ‘manipulative and oppressive' messages for more than a year, leaving her feeling ‘violated’.
Sean Maddocks, formerly of Proudman Way, gave his four-year-old son’s mum ‘the worst six months of her life’ by bombarding her with social media and other messages after they broke up in August 2022.
One message alone, when printed, ran to five A4 pages in size 12 font.
When she blocked him, the 36-year-old would find others ways of contacting her, inlcuding though a shared online calendar they used to arrange childcare.
She also believed he had access to her internet search history, as well as other aspects of her online life, though he denied this.
The victim told police his messages left her with the feeling he knew about ‘everything she’d search for, seen, and felt’, including when she was out on a date, as the volume and intensity of his messages would increase.
The bombardment only stopped when the family court handed him a one-year non-molestation order in September 2023.
When she handed over her dossier of evidence to the police, he was arrested and interviewed, and admitted harassing her without violence before magistrates’ on January 16.
Maddocks appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Wednesday, February 14.
Prosecuting, Michael O’Kane said the defendant’s messages to his ex – which he described as ‘character assassinations and manipulation to make her re-start the relationship’ – had been ‘persistent, oppressive, and unwanted’.
He said the dossier of message was 'like War and Peace’, filled with ‘professions of love, apologies, and promises to change’.
Mr O’Kane read her victim impact statement to the court where she says she felt ‘extremely violated’, ‘anxious’, and ‘unsafe’.
She was trying to grieve her dad’s death at the time, which she found impossible, made worse by her belief Maddocks wouldn't have dared harass her had her dad still been alive.
Defending, Victoria Robinson-Parker pointed out while Maddocks pleaded guilty to sending harassing messages, he denied spying on her, either in person or online.
“At the time, he’d didn’t realise he was making her so unhappy,” she added.
“The fact is, he was unable to cope with the breakdown of their relationship, and he demonstrated immaturity, which he fully accepts.
“He now knows the relationship is over, and he is ready to move on.
“He feels terrible now the impact of his behaviour has been read out in a quiet court in the cold light of day.
“He is terribly, terribly ashamed.”
Miss Robinson-Parker described Maddocks as ‘a responsible young man’ who has been in his current job as a window fitter for 16 years.
She added: “His only motivation now is to be a good dad to his son.”
Passing sentence, magistrates agreed Maddocks actions were ‘in the highest tier of seriousness’ for the charge faced, which could have landed him 12 months in prison.
However, he was handed an 18-month community order, including 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and a £727 fine.
He’ll also have pay £114 victim surcharge, and £120 courts.
The bench also issued a restraining order, meaning he can’t contact his ex for five years other than through named parties for the purposes of seeing his son.
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