Telford text threats man ‘foolish and stupid’

Dreece Armstrong, 22, of of Brands Farm Way, Randlay, had been drinking and had taken drugs shortly before he sent dozens of texts including the most serious stating that he would 'slit her throat' and 'beat her black and blue' on March 14.

The court heard that Armstrong recognised the seriousness of his actions when he sobered up and read the texts. He has spent lockdown in custody as a result.

Mr Simon Warlock, prosecuting at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday, said that the woman reported them and Armstrong handed himself in at the police station.When taken into custody he stated that he 'didn't think she would take offence. I thought she would be quite amused'.

'Idiot'

At a previous hearing Armstrong admitted an offence of witness intimidation and an offence of sending threatening text messages.

He had already been made subject to a two-year community order in 2018 relating to the same victim.

Mr Kevin Jones, mitigating, said the father-of-one had been "in alcohol, in drugs, had been foolish and stupid" on the day in question. He added that he had been in custody since the latest incident happened four months ago.

Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Lowe told Armstrong: "Most people who do this, do not voluntarily go to the police station and say that 'I have been an idiot'. this shows plainly that you did understand the seriousness of it.

"It does require a custodial sentence. I would have been looking to give you a 12-month term. There was no violence here.

"The reality is that whenever you get into trouble it is something to do with this relationship. That is something you need to reflect on.

"Time after time we see these cases come before the court where somebody can't deal with the fact that their partner has moved on. You have to get over that."

For witness intimidation he sentenced Armstrong to eight months in jail suspended for 18 months and for the texts one month suspended for 18 months to run concurrently..