Northumberland man spared jail after 'sinister and humiliating' stalking campaign on ex-partner

A jealous ex who humiliated his former partner with a sinister stalking campaign has been spared jail.

Jonathon Blacklock from Longframlington, Northumberland was given a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years after he pleaded guilty to stalking, two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and 12 counts of criminal damage.

Blacklock had a brief relationship with the victim in 2020 and took exception when it ended.

So much so, the obsessed 50-year-old set out on an "appalling sequence of actions to inflict harm and humiliation" upon the woman, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Over a two-month period, Blacklock sprayed offensive graffiti about her around a Northumberland village, sent abusive texts, left offensive notes at her home, slashed her tyres and dumped rubbish at the end of her drive.

He also showed intimate sexual photos of her to her boss and partner, prosecutors said.

During the course of the stalking, Blacklock mindlessly slashed the tyres of 10 other vehicles, whose owners had nothing to do with him or his ex.

His actions left the victim feeling suicidal and contemplating leaving her job and moving house, the court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Edward Bindloss said: "You undertook an appalling sequence of actions, which inflicted harm and humiliation upon her - stalking, disclosing sexual images and criminal damage to her vehicle.

"In addition, on January 22, you went on a mindless spree of criminal damage against 10 other cars by putting a knife into the car tyres and creating 10 victims, who had nothing to do with anything."

The judge added: "The stalking was over two months, although you resurrected it for a weekend. You sprayed graffiti calling her a s**t and a s**g. You sent abusive texts, left notes in her garden, left underwear at her partner's address."

The court heard that Blacklock and the victim broke up in September 2020 and his stalking campaign started soon after.

He began by spraying the abusive graffiti around Longframlington and close to the woman's home before approaching her partner at a garden centre and showing him a sexual photo of her.

He also showed the same picture to her boss.

Blacklock's behaviour stopped for a while until January 2021 when he caused £337.75-worth of damage to the victim's partner's van.

Blacklock was eventually arrested but claimed he hadn't harassed the woman and had acted out of a "desire to hurt her".

In a statement, she said she'd had suicidal thoughts, had changed her route to work and had contemplated leaving her job and moving house.

The court was told that Blacklock, who has eight offences on his record, was suffering from mental health issues at the time but had since sought help.

Richard Bloomfield, defending, said: "He's not been in any trouble since his arrest. Before his arrest, he was offending at a rapid pace. I think he can be rehabilitated, so the sentence can be suspended."

Blacklock was also made the subject of a two-month curfew between 9pm and 6am and a restraining order, banning him from contacting the victim or her partner.