Wellingborough man threw brick through window of woman he'd been banned from contacting for five years

A Wellingborough man who threw a brick through the window of a woman he had been banned from contacting by a restraining order has been jailed.

Andrew Courtman, 28, was involved in an unruly incident with a group of men in Pope Road, Wellingborough on March 28 and, after being searched by police, was found to be carrying a Stanley knife.

Northampton Crown Court heard on Friday (July 16) that while on bail after being charged with possession of a knife and a public order incident, on April 23 Courtman went to the Wellingborough home of his former partner and threw a brick through her window, causing significant damage.

When she informed police about what she had done, he returned to her address a week later, walked into her house and verbally abused her. Both visits were in breach of a five-year restraining order imposed by a court back in 2020 following a domestic assault.

Judge David Herbert QC was told this was the fourth breach of the restraining order.

The court heard Courtman, of Swinburne Road, Wellingborough, had a string of similar convictions under his belt including four from last March where he attended the addresses of three different women and caused damage to their properties before assaulting one of the victims.

Courtman pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching the restraining order, one of criminal damage and another of possession of a bladed article. In mitigation, barrister Daniel Green said: "All his previous offending has been due to alcohol abuse and misuse.

"He's been in custody for nine weeks and he's taken part in detox in prison and he's abstinent now."

Judge Herbert said: "There was no lawful reason for you carrying the Stanley knife. You're someone who's in the habit of carrying a knife.

"While on bail you threw a brick through your victim's window and that was bad enough but it happened again when you returned, finding the door open, and abused her for reporting the first incident.

"Your previous convictions show an established pattern of domestic abuse. You need to learn that it must stop. Only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate."

Courtman was sentenced to two concurrent 12 months sentences for the two breaches of the restraining order, and a month concurrent for the criminal damage. He was also given nine months in jail, consecutive to the first three sentences, for carrying the knife, making a total sentence of 21 months in prison.

He will serve half of the sentence before being released on licence.