Scarborough man threatened to make ex-partner's life 'hell'

Darcy Woodward, 31, from Scarborough, sent a barrage of vile texts following the break-up of his relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

In one message, he warned the victim: “I’m going to make your life hell. I’m going to go to your mum and dad’s and a make a right scene.”

Woodward even told the victim “what he was going to do with a hammer to her grandparents”, said prosecutor Rob Galley.

Though he never followed through on these threats, Woodward drunkenly set about attacking the victim’s property at her home in Scarborough, where he had been staying after their separation.

He threw a plant pot against the back door and slammed or kicked at the garden gate during a drunken rage on the evening of January 3. The petrified victim locked the door and turned all the lights off inside the property.

The following day, Woodward sent her up to 18 threatening messages, said Mr Galley.

“He said he was going to go to her workplace,” added the barrister. “The (victim) said the relationship was over and didn’t want him to come back.”

Police found Woodward hiding at the property on January 9 and seized a small amount of cannabis from him. He was arrested and charged with two counts of harassment, criminal damage, breaching a restraining order and possessing a Class B drug while subject to a conditional discharge for previous matters. He admitted all the offences and appeared for sentence last week.

Woodward, currently of West Bank, had previous convictions for offences including damaging property, harassment and assaulting police officers. He had been given a restraining order in 2015 which prohibited him threatening his ex-partner, using violence against her or damaging her property.

Defence barrister Taryn Turner said that Woodward, a roofer by trade who is currently unemployed, had a problem with alcohol which was the root cause of his offending and the trouble he had given his ex-partner following the end of their seven-year relationship.

“In drink he is a thoroughly unpleasant individual,” she added.

She said, however, that Woodward potentially had roofing work lined up and was now living with his mother.

Woodward had arrived in court expecting an immediate jail term, but judge Andrew Stubbs QC adjourned sentence to give the defendant time to prove he had work lined up and to get to the bottom of his relationship with the victim, with whom he was still in contact.

Mr Stubbs bailed Woodward until the adjourned sentence hearing on June 6, but said he was still uncertain what his fate would be.