Nicholas Horton, from St Mary’s in Wantage, faced sentencing at Oxford Crown Court on Monday for violating a restraining order concerning his former partner on three separate occasions.
The court detailed that the 59-year-old breached the order on January 23, July 31, and August 2 of the previous year, following its issuance in October 2022. Horton violated the order by contacting his ex-girlfriend via Facebook using a ‘joke’ alias and by allowing her to stay with him for at least a week.
He received a nine-month prison sentence from Judge Hassan Khan, who commented, “There are five previous breaches and they seriously aggravate any sentence I impose – there is no stopping you.” The judge emphasized that it is the defendant’s responsibility to avoid contributing to any breach, regardless of whether contact is initiated by the other party.
During the sentencing, it was revealed that on January 23, the former partner called emergency services, and the operator overheard her demanding Horton to leave her alone. Upon investigation, it was discovered she had been residing with Horton for a week. Later, on July 31, she received a Facebook friend request from an alias she recognized as Horton, named ‘Duncan Disorderly’, which attempted to initiate contact and offered a meeting for lunch and coffee. On August 2, she received a message featuring a letter from Oxford County Council with Horton’s address.
The court heard that Horton has 35 convictions for 64 prior offenses, including five related to the current complainant. In defense, barrister Bethan Chichester explained, “The relationship has been complicated for some time…the breaches are almost always the same. There’s contact between the two of them.” She described the complex and difficult nature of their relationship, noting Horton’s intention to help his partner despite the restraining order.
Judge Khan acknowledged mutual contact but emphasized that Horton was ultimately accountable for the breaches. In addition to the sentence, Horton received a new five-year restraining order concerning the woman.
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