A man convicted of stalking for a second time has received a prison sentence for his “persistent and prolonged” harassment of a recent ex-partner.

Paul Moses attended, uninvited, the home of a woman with whom he had been in an on/off relationship over several years, using the excuse he owned the property, as he refused to sell after their split.

Durham Crown Court heard he assaulted her three times, which was designed to, “demean and humiliate” her.

Johnny Walker, prosecuting, said following the ending of the relationship, in 2018, Moses became involved with another woman, who he was convicted of stalking in 2020, for which he received a nine-month prison term, a sentence that was suspended on appeal.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

But he then rekindled the relationship with his previous partner which Mr Walker said hit problems because of the defendant’s drinking, by May last year.

The woman told him the relationship was over and he vacated the house, spending several weeks living in a caravan in Coundon.

But he would turn up, at times unexpectedly, climbing into the property, when he would go through the post and her drawers, asking if she was seeing another man.

It was during these “visits” that the defendant committed the three offences of common assault, which Mr Walker said was almost as if to show his victim she was, “his property”.

On an evening when she was out with friends at a local cricket club, a neighbour saw Moses climbing into her home before he was later seen in the vicinity of the cricket club.

The neighbour had rung for the police and the victim managed to stay away from him, but she received at least 60 calls from the defendant that night.

He also made threats to harm any man she may have been seeing.

In her impact statement, the victim said the Paul Moses who appeared in court (via the video link from Durham Prison) was not the Paul Moses she has had to put up with for much of the last six years.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

She said he was “skilled” at putting on a public face, but she had found him, “nothing short of a monster”, adding, “he’s subjected me to six years of abuse.”

It led to her fearing she would have to put up with his interference, “in my life forever”.

She said: “He felt at liberty to attend my home even at night.

“For some reason I had to make plans to go out in secret.

“He would go looking for me if I was out.

“I felt trapped in my own home.”

She added that it had affected her mental health and it was only since his remand in custody earlier this year that she felt as if she could lead a proper life.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Moses, 42, of Dixon Way, Coundon, admitted stalking and three counts of common assault.

The court heard his record features a previous offence of stalking with an ex-partner, plus affray and battery, from another earlier relationship.

Katie Spence, in mitigation, said she had to accept there were, “some factors in this case that were particularly unpleasant.”

Miss Spence said: “He’s clearly someone who would benefit from the intervention of the Probation Service in quite a lot of detail.

“He’s already served the equivalent peri of a 14-month sentence while on remand.”

Miss Spence said the defendant is, “incredibly remorseful and incredibly sorry for his behaviour.”

She said he has his own business fabricating stables across the country, which he could return to upon his release from custody.

Judge Nathan Adams told Moses that his behaviour, “over a significant period, from April 2023 to May this year, was deeply concerning”.

The judge said the defendant excused his behaviour when he broke into the property, as he was the owner, having refused to sell.

“It was utter nonsense.

“Your behaviour was clearly designed to cause distress on your behalf.

“In my assessment you used your partners as pieces of property under your control.

“It was protracted action over a prolonged period of time, intended to maximise distress.

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“It’s caused very serious distress to the victim, aggravated by your previous convictions, with a considerable history of domestic violence against other partners.”

Imposing a three-year prison sentence, Judge Adams told the defendant: “I very much hope when you come out to will put yourself in a position where you don’t repeat the offending.”

Judge Adams also put in place a restraining order prohibiting the defendant from trying to contact or approach his most recent former partner, “directly or indirectly”, "until further order".