Harrogate man jailed for breaching restraining order and emotionally abusing ex-partner

A notorious Harrogate man has been jailed for breaching a restraining order by living with his ex-partner under false pretences and subjecting her to drink-fuelled emotional abuse.

Adam Stephenson, 44, who has over 100 previous offences on his record including domestic violence, wheedled his way back into the victim’s life and planted himself at her home after convincing her that the restraining order had expired, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Beth Richardson said that Stephenson was on a two-year restraining order imposed at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court in May last year after he was convicted of threatening to damage her windows.

The order, which was part of a six-month suspended prison sentence, forbade him from contacting the victim, but in March this year he moved into her home in Harrogate – and stayed there for over three months.

The named victim, who is in her 50s, had told Stephenson that he shouldn’t be at the property because of the restraining order, but he lied to her that the order had expired.

Worried that he would become homeless again, she was persuaded by the lie and allowed him to stay at her home and there he remained for the next three months, between early March and mid-June.

Stephenson spent those three months drinking and being verbally abusive to the victim, while effectively “forcing” her to allow him to stay.

The victim was caused “immense anxiety and distress” by his abhorrent behaviour.

It was only when Stephenson had a seizure and taken to hospital that the victim had the opportunity to report him to police on June 17.

Stephenson, of no fixed address, was arrested but still maintained the fiction that the order had expired.

While on bail for the breach offence, he got into more bother, this time for racially aggravated threatening behaviour at Harrogate Police Station on March 28.

He pleaded guilty to that offence when he appeared at the lower court last month and was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

He appeared at the Crown Court via remand video link on Tuesday (July 28) for the offence against his ex-partner after pleading guilty to breaching a restraining order.

Prosecuting barrister Ms Richardson said that Stephenson had 73 previous convictions for 110 offences including domestic assaults, numerous breaches of court orders including ASBOs and domestic-violence-protection orders, being drunk and disorderly, drink-driving, drug offences, carrying a weapon and battery.

His solicitor Neil Cutte said that Stephenson had a long-standing drink problem.

Judge Simon Hickey said although Stephenson had not been physically violent to his ex-partner while staying at her home, there had been an “enormous amount of emotional damage caused by threats”.

He told Stephenson: “You simply inveigled yourself into this poor lady’s home.

"You were drinking and stopped taking your medication.

"You were abusive to her, shouted at her – you forced her to allow yourself to stay.

“She, out of the goodness of her heart, didn’t want you to become homeless.

"It’s caused her immense stress and anxiety.”

Handing Stephenson a one-year jail sentence, the judge told him: “The sad feature is that you will be homeless again when you get out of (prison), so the cycle may continue.”