Man filmed himself urinating on clothing and then sent video to ex-partner claiming they belonged to her
A man filmed himself urinating on clothing and then sent a video to his ex-partner "purporting" they were her clothes.
Details were given to Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The court was told John Kenneth Shields (34), of Condiere Terrace, in the village of Connor near Ballymena, had videoed himself urinating on the clothing and sent a video to his ex.
He has been sentenced on a charge relating to sending a communication which 'intended to cause non-trivial psychological harm' to his ex-partner.
The defendant had previously contested the case and had been convicted of the charge.
A prosecutor told Thursday's court that on December 20 last year the defendant called police and "shouted 'you tell her to get this sh*t out of my house because I am going to p*ss on it.
It is my house, I am going to p*ss on it if I want'. This was in relation to clothing his ex-partner had left at his house around September time".
The court was told Shields videoed himself urinating on clothes.
Police attended and spoke to him and then on December 22 the victim told police that on December 20 between around 9pm to midnight she received a number of text messages from the defendant "stating that he had 'p*ssed and wiped his ar*e on her clothing' and he also sent a video showing him throwing items out the window, spitting on clothing and a video showing him damaging clothing," the prosecutor added.
The court was told there had been a "query whether it was his clothes or her clothes which were actually damaged" but that a message was sent "purporting it to be her clothes".
On April 26 this year police spoke to Shields in Connor about the December incident and he "appeared to be under the influence of drugs". He had four tablets in his pocket. He "became irate with police and was swearing loudly and repeatedly in a residential area".
In connection with that incident he has been sentenced on charges of being disorderly and being in possession of diazepam.
A defence barrister said Shields had "very serous drug addiction issues". The defendant had 77 previous convictions.
District Judge Nigel Broderick told Shields the actions in December had been "nothing less than disgusting. To urinate over your partner's clothing and then to send her this message is just vile actually. It is totally unnecessary and there is an element of vindictiveness".
He said the videoing of the incident and sending it to the victim was an "aggravating feature" which was intended to cause her "psychological harm".
The defendant was assessed as not being suitable to do Community Service. The judge said despite the record it appeared Shields had never been given Probation.
"Not without significant hesitation," the judge said he would not jail him put was putting him on Probation for a year with a condition that he should get addiction treatment.
As part of the Probation he has to disclose any new relationships to his Probation Officer and also to say where he is living.
Judge Broderick said he wanted to make it "crystal clear" that if Shields breaches the Probation Order it will be immediately revoked and replaced with a jail term. A two-year Restraining Order was also put in place.