A Boston man who forced his ex-long term partner to strip to her underwear and stand outside on the balcony at her flat in Harlow while he burgled it was today spared jail.
Chelmsford Crown Court was told that as well as forcing his ex to strip and stand outside in the cold, David Dewberry, 26, of Hobhole Bank, Old Leake, Boston, also attacked the woman, smashed property in her flat and, when he allowed her back in, forced her to cut up her own clothes.
Dewberry, who was tracked to a hotel in Harlow through a phone he had stolen from his ex, was told by Judge Goldstaub QC that he had come close to a jail sentence.
But the judge instead imposed a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered Dewberry, who pleaded guilty to burglary, assault and causing criminal damage, to attend a Building Better Relationship programme.
As he passed sentence, Judge Goldstaub told Dewberry: “I’m not going to send you to prison immediately although I have to say you were not far off.
“You behaved in a disgraceful way coming up to Christmas last year when you fell out with your former partner and lost your temper but I think it’s a one-off.”
Referring to the suspended sentence the judge told him: “You’ve got to have some threat hanging over your head so you don’t start thinking of bizarre things again.”
Prosecutor Karl Volz told the court that Dewberry and his ex had broken up in July 2013 after five years in a relationship and on December 21 he had been a guest at her address.
Mr Volz continued: “The following day he let himself in having taken the key the previous day, forced her down on the settee, smashed the television and slapped her around, forced her to strip to her underwear and go out onto the balcony on a cold day.
“After she returned inside he forced her to cut up her own clothes, sat on her feet causing her pain and bruising and stole her phone and keys but the police tracked him down.
"He had booked himself into a hotel near Harlow Station with a female.”
Nicola May, mitigating, told the court: “He does regret the incident and now accepts the relationship is over. He’s ashamed of his behaviour.”
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