THE CHILLING TEXTS AND GOOGLE SEARCHES OF JEALOUS TRUCKER WHO STALKED WOMAN
A 27-year-old businesswoman was subjected to a disturbing campaign of stalking and harassment by her jealous and paranoid boyfriend, who wrongly believed she was being unfaithful.Michael Blake, a 36-year-old lorry driver, became obsessed with the idea that his partner was seeing other men.
His temper tantrums escalated into destructive and controlling behaviour, including cutting up her clothes and dumping her jewellery and watch in a glass of apple juice.
On one occasion, while the woman was out with friends, Blake who remained at their shared flat in Manchester city centre sent her a photo of one of her jumpers with the sleeve removed and another of her laptop placed in the bath.
Though the bath was empty, she interpreted it as a threat.
He also messaged her: ''I know you're with someone.
He's staying in a hotel nearby.'' When she returned home, she found herself locked out.
Upon gaining entry, she discovered a dress had been damaged, and her belongings further tampered with.
After ending their 17-month relationship, she was bombarded with spam emails and unsolicited calls from PPI and loan companies.
Police later discovered Blake had submitted applications in her name.
He also called her 76 times in a single day.
Upon examining Blake’s phone, officers found evidence that he had searched online for CCTV camera locations at her Manchester workplace.
Other searches included “When do you board a plane to Iceland”, “hacking an email”, and “removing a Facebook account”.
He had also searched for information about the Essex town where her parents live.
In a powerful victim impact statement read to the court, she said: ''He is jealous and he constantly restricted where I was and was checking that I wasn’t chatting with other men.
His behaviour caused me unnecessary stress as he was falsely accusing her of cheating on him and it caused unnecessary arguments.
''This behaviour started before I moved to Manchester and I hoped that by moving in with him, it would relieve his concern.
But the reality is, it didn’t.
My family were concerned about his behaviour towards me and they also encouraged me to separate.
''There was an appointment for us both to go to counselling together and he did attend - but then left half way through.
I feel like he's completely destroyed my life.
I am scared about meeting new people in case his behaviour impacts on them.
I felt sorry for him but he abused his mental health problems and emotionally blackmailed me in the relationship.
''It was a huge relief when he was remanded in custody.
I just wants to put the episode behind me as she always felt like I was looking over my shoulder.
What happened changed me and I don't feel able to use social media and professional media in the same way in case he finds me.
I will never be the same person again until I finds some sort of peace.” At Manchester Crown Court, Blake now of Frodsham, Cheshire admitted to harassment and was jailed for 29 months.
A restraining order was also issued, indefinitely prohibiting him from contacting the victim.
The court heard the couple met in August 2017 during a night out in London.
In May 2018, they moved in together to a flat in the Ancoats area of Manchester.
Prosecutor Juliet Berry told the court: “She described how the relationship began to deteriorate over his misguided belief that she was seeing and contacting other males.
''On January 6 2019 both parties were at home together, [she] was suffering with a cold so spent the day at home as a consequence but later was feeling a bit better and get herself dressed and suggested they went out together.
''But he said she shouldn’t go out and he didn’t want to.
When she said she was feeling fine to go out, he became angry and asked her where she was going and said: 'well, are you going out?
What are you doing here then?' "He was being aggressive and as she was winding her phone charger round her hand, she threw it to the floor in frustration and he then picked up the charger and threw it at her.
''He also threw her watch at her and threatened to damage her jewellery.
The following day she had been out and returned home as she wanted to speak to him.
He wasn’t there and she remained at home for some time before going out again.
''While she was out she relieved a photo from the defendant by WhatsApp of her laptop in the bath.
There wasn’t water in the bath but she interpreted this as a threat to cause damage to the laptop.
She returned home and she was unable to open the door because he had locked it from inside and left his key in the lock.
''She then received a further photo of a jumper belonging to her which was damaged by the sleeve being removed.
She then received a further message saying that he had intended to let her in - but she had gone and he missed the chance to gain entry to the flat.
''She called police and her parents for assistance and when she did gain access, she found the damaged jumper and she also saw the defendant had damaged a dress belonging to her.
Her watch and jewellery had been placed in apple juice which caused the watch to stop working.
''During the course of that evening [she] received a message from the defendant saying he knew she was with someone and he had stayed in a hotel nearby that night.
Following the damage caused to her property, the defendant attended the flat they shared together to find.
[Her] father was at the flat.
The defendant asked who he was and told him to go away and the relationship ended.
''She blocked the defendant on social media but the defendant continued to contact her by email and text and one day phoned her on 76 occasions.
Over a 25 minutes period, there were seven calls to her place of work and there were a number of texts and emails to [her].
''She also received texts from the defendants mother and his sister which she believed were sent under his instruction.
[She] also received communications from loans company’s suggesting he had made applications for loans and PPI and was using her personal details.' ''She received communication by social media from unnamed individuals.
Police interrogated the defendants phone and found he had been making many enquiries in relation to the whereabouts of [her].
''During the course of the relationship she had arranged for them to go on holiday to Iceland as a Christmas gift to the defendant.
''Because the relationship ended and they couldn’t go together and she went with another person but he searched for: “when do you board a plane to Iceland” and “time in Iceland”.
He also searched for “hacking an email” and “removing a Facebook account.'' Blake was arrested and bailed but was detained for a second time trying to contact the victim.
His lawyer Stephen Tettey said: “This is a tragic case, but what is clear from the evidence at some point over time there was a hopeful, fruitful, healthy, friendly relationship.
"It would appear his state of mind undermined that healthy relationship.
She clearly has suffered stress and anxiety but there is no evidence of serious psychological harm.'' However sentencing the judge Mr Recorder John Jones QC told Blake: “The impact on the victim is at the highest possible level.
She is on a course of medical treatment and counselling and this has changed her.
''You persisted with this obsessive behaviour and she only partly uses social media now for fear of you.
Your own family describe you as being kind and caring - but unfortunately that is not evident in this case.''
