A 51-year-old man from Totnes has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for a stalking campaign against his ex-wife and daughter, after squandering a chance to change his behaviour.
Jason Bartlam was convicted last year of harassment and given a suspended sentence with an opportunity for rehabilitation. However, he returned to court on Friday (June 20) and admitted two new stalking charges, breaching a restraining order, and breaching the suspended sentence.
Judge Stephen Climie stated: 'Last July I was persuaded there was going to be an end to the harassment and distress you had caused your former wife and children. That was a lie. I was totally misled by you, as were those representing you.'
The court heard that Bartlam ignored the court order to stay away from his ex-wife and daughter. Just a month after his conviction, he was heard revving his car loudly near their home. In October, he accelerated his car towards his ex-wife's vehicle as she drove with their daughter in Newton Abbot, forcing her to swerve to avoid a collision.
Bartlam also admitted stalking without fear related to video messages posted on TikTok to his teenage daughter. The previous hearing detailed how he sent threatening messages, taunting his ex-wife and leaving a voicemail with her mother threatening to kill her.
The victims provided moving statements. Bartlam's ex-wife said she felt 'betrayed' that the man she loved 'became the person I feared the most'. His daughter said she was afraid of her father and thought he would kill them in a collision.
In mitigation, Paul Dentith argued Bartlam had not intended to drive at the pair, claiming the vehicle 'twitched' on narrow roads. However, the judge noted Bartlam had 'no intention' of staying away from his victims and issued a lifetime restraining order.
