Notts man assaulted ex-partner and sent ‘cynical, sinister and false’ images

Rowan Grant barged into the woman's kitchen in Bestwood Park and snatched her mobile phone, before accusing her of calling police, prosecutor Dawn Pritchard told Nottingham Crown Court.

He banged her head, causing a cut behind her ear which bled, and shouted so angrily his mouth was frothing, then left and tossed her door key away, on January 27.

The next day, he started sending her video messages and images of rooms in her home.

"He was trying to suggest she was breaking the order, not him," Ms Pritchard said.

The court heard Grant was jailed for 18 months in September 2020, for controlling and coercive behaviour, after he repeatedly assaulted and verbally abused the woman.

A five year restraining order was also imposed, but he breached it, in June last year, and received six months in prison.

Ms Pritchard said the relationship started in 2019, but thing started to go downhill. Grant's ex described the relationship as 'hell,' with numerous assaults, before she ended it in 2020.

He has 17 previous convictions for 31 offences, including drug supply and possessing offensive weapons, and has served ‘a number of prison sentences.’

Chris Brewin, mitigating, said Grant’s best mitigation was his early guilty pleas.

“He knows he has done wrong,” he said. “He has reflected upon that. He has made his own application to go on the ‘building better relationships’ course. He knows this can't continue.

“He is dyslexic. He was working before he was remanded in custody. He knows he has to behave differently.”

Grant, 30, of Melford Road, Bilborough, admitted assault and three breaches of the restraining order, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on March 24.

On Wednesday, Judge Steven Coupland told him: “Even after you left you sent a number of pictures and videos designed to try and make it look like she was taking drugs. This was cynical, sinister and false.”

He sentenced Grant to 14 months in prison, and said: “The restraining order will remain in place until 2025. Breach it again and you will go to prison again.”