‘Obsessive’ Mansfield man set ex-partner's clothes on fire, saying, ‘I paid for them’

Ellis Lacey set fire to the woman’s clothing on February 26 last year, shortly after their four-year relationship ended because “she could no longer cope with his behaviour,” said Eunice Gedzah, prosecuting.

While she was cleaning her car on April 16, he called her names and threatened to bomb her home and set it on fire.

Nottingham Crown Court heard she went back to her mum’s, who lives on the same street as Lacey, and was “terrified of walking out and bumping into him.”

He bombarded her with calls, sent flowers to her doorstep, and posted letters apologising, asking to resume the relationship, and promising to change and that things would be different.

After she blocked him on social media, Lacey, aged 29, resorted to sending small amounts of money to her online account with messages asking where her car was and stating he loved her.

When she told him to stop Lacey threatened to slash her car tyres.

In a statement she said she felt as if she was having a mental breakdown, and was left “insecure, anxious and scared,” and wondering what she had done to deserve this.

Lacey admitted to burning her clothing and told police he had paid for them.

The court heard he has one previous conviction from May 2015 for two counts of common assault.

Luc Chignell, mitigating, said: “He plainly struggled to handle rejection and that revealed within him obsessive behaviour.”

He said Lacey hadn’t been manipulative or malicious, but had failed to regulate his emotions properly because of desperation.

Lacey, of Chelmorton Close, Mansfield Woodhouse, admitted criminal damage and stalking at a previous hearing.

On Wednesday, Recorder Balraj Bhatia KC told him he’d “made life very difficult and miserable for her,” and caused very serious distress and serious psychological harm.

He handed him a six month sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 20 rehabilitation days. A five year restraining order was also imposed.