Jail term for former soldier who broke into ex-girlfriend's Carrickfergus home to steal her dog
A former soldier convicted of breaking into an ex-girlfriend’s home to steal her dog has been jailed for 11 months.
The 37-year-old was also found guilty of threats to kill and subjecting the woman to misogynistic online slurs.
Gerald Verner, of Inverary Avenue, Belfast, faced prosecution over an incident at a house in the Carrickfergus area in September 2025.
He was accused of entering the property to take a French Bulldog, cash, band cards and a purse belonging to the woman.
Belfast Magistrates Court heard she made a harrowing 999 call to express fears her pet would be killed. Verner claimed he only went to the house to rescue the animal.
However, he was convicted following a contest on charges of burglary, criminal damage, threatening or abusive behaviour, making a threat to kill, persistent improper use of a communications network, and sending false messages.
District Judge Anne Marshall praised the woman’s courage in giving evidence and the “moving” content of her victim impact statement.
She told the defendant: “You used multiple forms of abuse, breaking into her house, taking her dog, putting up messages about her and threatening that you wouldn’t be in prison forever, obviously intended to keep her fearful of you.
“There were threats online, misogynistic language, you called her a whore, a tramp, a slut and other terms that I won’t even repeat.”
Previous courts heard Verner is a Royal Irish Regiment veteran who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder following tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was said to have been badly wounded by stepping on an improvised explosive device. But citing probation reports, Mrs Marshall said there appeared to be no mention of the IED incident in military records.
The reasons behind Verner’s Army career coming to an end could not be confirmed either. Despite stating he had been honourably discharged, the court heard probation notes indicated his departure followed several periods of unexplained absence.
Sentencing him to 11 months’ in custody, she declared: “Your record is violent, you are a repeated domestic abuser.”
Mrs Marshall also imposed a five-year Violent Offences Prevention Order, under the terms of which Verner must disclose details of any new relationships to his risk manager and keep away from the victim.
He was granted leave to appeal his convictions and sentence, but refused release on bail.