Threats continued from inside prison
Being held in prison didn’t stop – or even slow down – Brent William Charlton’s campaign of threats against his ex-partner.
He wrote nine letters while in custody on remand, which included threats that he “owned her for life” and would sexually violate her.
The 39-year-old has now gone to jail for two years eight months for the continuing harassment and threats to the woman.
Judge Tony Couch imposed the jail term at Charlton’s Christchurch District Court sentencing today, after detailing the months of fear that the woman had to endure.
Defence counsel Rupert Glover argued that a sentence of about 18 months ought to be imposed because Charlton had already served the equivalent of that while on remand. He pointed out that efforts had been made to get a psychological assessment of Charlton while he was in custody but this had been hampered because there had not been pleas at that stage.
He said prison held no fears for Charlton because he felt at home associating with the rougher elements in there.
Charlton admitted charges of criminal harassment of the woman, threatening to kill, nine breaches of a protection order she took out against him, and a breach of prison release conditions.
Charlton’s record shows he has been sentenced to 47 terms of imprisonment, many of them served at the same time.
Jail terms have been imposed virtually every year for the last 15 years, unless he was already in prison serving a longer term. He has 13 previous convictions for assault and threatening behaviour, three for protection order breaches, and numerous convictions for dishonesty and driving offences.
Judge Couch said Charlton was jailed for threatening to kill the woman in 2012 but sent letters which scared and intimidated her by making threats that he “owned” her and would “find her”.
That led to a charge of criminal harassment and a sentence to come up for sentence if called upon.
After his release from prison, he went to her home, stood over her, yelled at her, threatened to smash her, and kicked over a wheelie bin to emphasise the threats.
He was charged with threatening her and breaching his release conditions and held in custody. The woman got a protection order against him on November 22.
From then until January this year, he wrote to the woman from prison nine times.
The letters ranged from abusive, threatening, and angry, to being apologetic. The fifth one said: “I’ve got eyes watching you. I know every move you make. I’m in your life forever and nothing’s going to change that.”
The sixth letter threatened sexual violation and said: “I can do what I want with you. I own you for life.”
The last letter said he knew he could get away with doing horrible things to her, because there was no-one to stop him.
Judge Couch said Charlton had intended to make the woman fear what he planned to do upon his release. He told Charlton: “Given your lifelong history of violence and other criminal behaviour, these threats were very real. You have demonstrated in the past your ability to carry out the sort of threats you were making to this woman.”
Imposing the jail term, he said: “The court has to take into account the protection of the public from you. Because of your history and total disregard for court orders it has come to that point.”
Category: Focus
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