Bolton man jailed after making threats to ex-partner

Bolton man James Casey appeared in Bolton Crown Court after ringing his partner 60 times in one day after a restraining order had been applied - and making gross threats including he would bomb her house and kill her.

Bolton Crown Court heard the restraining order had been imposed when he was given a suspended sentence by Lancashire Magistrates Courts in November last year after he admitted breaching a non-molestation order.

But the next month he ignored the court order to terrorise former partner Keeley Wood, with whom he has a five-year-old daughter, once more.

The pair had lived together in Bacup, Lancashire.

He rang her 60 times in one day on December 16  including five times when she was picking her daughter up from school - and the threats were overheard by teaching staff and other parents.

Michael Staunton, prosecuting, said: “He made threats to use weapons and of arson, threats to her life.

“He said he would bomb her house.

“He asked ‘are you scared of me?’ and said 'add me on Snapchat you will see my location.’”

A staff member at the primary school rang police and Casey was interviewed the next month when he lied and said he was with probation services at the time.

Miss Wood read a victim impact statement in which she revealed her never ending fear of Casey.

She said she had looked to move home to feel at peace but was unable to do so for financial reasons.

She added: “I do honestly believe it will take James having to kill me before proper action is taken against him.”

Casey, 31, appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting breaching of a restraining order, stalking with fear of violence and breaching the suspended sentence by reoffending.

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Nick Ross, defending, said Casey had remained out of trouble for six years before the offences against Miss Wood.

He added that Casey was very “inebriated” on the day the offences had taken places and had assured him Miss Wood would never hear from him again.

Keeley Wood (Image: Submission)

Judge Tom Gilbart said: “You knew full well you were prohibited from contacting her.

“You knew full well you were in breach of a suspended sentence order.

“You made quite gross threats to her while she was with her daughter.”

He jailed Casey, from Winchester Way, Bolton, for a period of two years and 21 weeks.

Speaking afterwards, Miss Wood urged women to check out the history of new partner’s using Clare’s Law.

She said: “I am quite pleased with the sentence, to be honest I expected him to get less time from the cases I have read about.

“Women need to search Clare’s Law with new partners, that is something I have just found out about.

“Do a background check to make sure what their partner is saying is accurate.”