Sick father-of-two jailed for 'bloodcurdling' threats to children

A young father-of-two who sent ‘bloodcurdling’ threats to ‘douse’ children in petrol and fantasised about them ‘burning in their bedrooms’ has been jailed for two years.
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Benjamin Ellis, aged 20, made ‘death threats’ to the mother of his two young children along with the scared woman’s female friend and her children.

A judge – who described Ellis’s sick texts as ‘horrendous’ – told him: “You clearly intended to cause them the maximum distress.”

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Derby Crown Court heard Ellis was subject of a community order not to contact his partner when he called her 85 times on April 15.

Derby Crown Court.Derby Crown Court.
Derby Crown Court.

The court heard all of Ellis’s previous convictions were assaults and criminal damage against the mother of his children and her property.

Catherine Picardo described how after wishing ‘type 3 cancer’ on the terrified mum, Ellis turned up at her home and began kicking her door in with his scared children inside.

Ms Picardo said: “She went outside and saw Ellis in a car with his mother. He was shouting at her, demanding that she went with him in the car.

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“He was threatening to hurt her if she did not get into the car.”

However Ellis also made vile threats to his partner’s friend, who was present at the house.

Messages included ‘I will take you for a drink of bleach with your kids’ and ‘I’ll take your kids to the crematorium’.

In another chilling message, Ellis wrote he could ‘imagine’ the youngsters ‘burning in their bedrooms’.

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Ellis of Newlands Road, Riddings, admitted two counts of harassment.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Ellis his conduct was intended to cause ‘maximum fear or distress’.

He said: “These were horrendous messages you were sending – threats to your children and to (his partner’s friend’s children). It was just bloodcurdling.”

“Children had to witness this incident - when their mothers would have been extremely distressed.”

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Ellis was jailed for two years, given a 10-year restraining order in respect of his partner and a two-year restraining order in respect of her friend and her children. He was also banned from contacting his own children without the supervision of the family court.