Court is told Ballymena man 'put tracking software on woman's phone and caused damage if there were numbers he didn't recognise'
A man given a ten months jail term after being convicted of 'domestic abuse', put tracking software on a phone and smashed mobiles several times after spotting numbers he did not recognise, a court was told.
Alan Robert Agnew (43), of Cromkill Road near Ballymena, was sentenced after being convicted of a chare of 'domestic abuse' which occurred between November 2023 and November 2024.
The charge was that he 'engaged in a course of behaviour that was abusive of another person...a person to whom you were personally connected at the time and the course of behaviour is such that a reasonable person would consider the course of behaviour to be likely to cause her to suffer physical or psychological harm'.
Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, was told the defendant subjected the woman to a number of assaults - kicks and punches and throwing things at her - and coercive control.
The woman said "tracking software" was put on her phone by the defendant. The defendant had paid for the phone and checked it and if there was a number he didn't realise he called it.
It was said he had broken five phones after he spotted numbers he didn't recognise. Eventually she bought her own phone and he was unable to check it.
The woman said the defendant "hid" one of each of five pairs of her shoes and they were then found at the property where the defendant was living.
The woman said she had no access to emails because they were connected to his phone number and she was unable to re-set her password.
When the woman took too long on shopping trips, the court was told, the defendant "locked her out of the house" because he believed there was "cheating".
He allegedly stood on her hand whilst he was wearing steel-toed boots; pressed his forearm against her neck as he did not wish to leave finger marks; and he dragged her by the hair.
When interviewed the defendant denied incidents including assaults and claimed he was assaulted. He told police he believed there was "cheating" and he said he had looked at messages on a phone as he owned it as the contract was in his name.
He said the woman had a "bad temper" and he worked "seven days a week to keep out of her way". He denied putting a tracker on her phone; denied smashing the phone; and denied he locked her out or causing damage.
He said he had not taken her shoes; he denied assaults; and said on one occasion the woman had thrown a bottle of aftershave at him.
He denied putting his arm across her throat and said lies were told about him and that he was a "victim of physical and verbal abuse having been kicked and punched numerous times".
A defence barrister said the defendant had been convicted of the 'domestic abuse' charge after a contest and a number of charges had been dismissed.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said it was a very troubling case and a victim statement was "harrowing" reading. The judge said the woman had sustained significant emotional trauma as well as physical pain.
The judge said courts have said consistently that they will deal appropriately with perpetrators of domestic violence and there had been a "multitude" of incidents in this case.
He said the defendant seemed to struggle with the court finding him guilty and in a pre-sentence report had sought to place blame on the victim.
The judge handed down a ten months prison sentence and a two- year Restraining Order was also put in place. The defendant was released on £500 bail pending appeal.