A man threatened to stab his ex-girlfriend’s family and steal her child, a court heard.

Nasser Ali, 26, of Fal Drive, Witham was charged with breaching a non-molestation order and possessing a bladed article.

The court heard Ali, who had previously worked as a care worker in Colchester, bombarded his ex-girlfriend with messages which resulted in her applying for a non-molestation order.

But no more than 15 minutes after he had been told by the police on October 8, 2020, that he was forbidden from contacting his former partner, Ali then phoned her up to threaten her, the court was told.

Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, read out what Ali said during the phone calls.
He said the message said: “Take out a court order against me? I’m coming to your house, wait and see.

“Just you wait, you and your boyfriend are going to get stabbed up mate.” 

Ali then threatened to go to a nursery and take her son.

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When police searched Ali’s car the following day in relation to reports of an individual brandishing a hand gun, they found a seven-inch bread knife underneath the floor of the boot.

In a victim statement read out by the prosecution, Ali’s ex-girlfriend said the slew of threats and phone calls had shattered her mental health.

“I have panic attacks every day thinking about what happened,” the statement read.

“I get around three hours sleep per night – my son has been having nightmares and has had behavioural issues since experiencing the situation.

“I can’t work due to my mental health and I’m not in the state of mind to find work.”

Ali, admitted both charges and was handed an 18-month suspended sentence in addition to being told to undertake unpaid work when he appeared in Ipswich Crown Court.

In mitigation, the court was told Ali had not reoffended since the incident and had not breached his bail conditions – one of which was not to enter Colchester.

Judge Peters said the threats Ali to his ex-partner and her new boyfriend were “very serious”, but she agreed to give him a suspended sentence.