Domestic abuse thug who said he was like killer Raoul Moat to terrify his partner is jailed for two years and four months
Eric Drinkald, 41, and the woman split after he hit her with a hoover attachment, curtain pole and his fists before he then bombarded her with calls and texts during a campaign of stalking.
This culminated in him threatening to smash her windows and burn her car on January 1 before comparing himself to Moat to instil fear.
Jane Foley, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court the woman had complained about Drinkald's abusive behaviour during the course of their relationship but had previously retracted statements to the police.
In November last year, they argued and she ended up asking him to leave. Drinkald, who had been drinking, began punching and slapping her.
Miss Foley said: 'He struck her with a curtain pole and hoover attachment and punched her to the stomach. He threw a can of Stella lager towards her which exploded on the floor.'
The woman sustained bruising and swelling to various parts of her body as a result of the assault. They split up but Drinkald repeatedly messaged and called her.
Miss Foley said: 'The contact was persistent and often abusive and threatening.
'She describes being tortured with calls and texts. On New Year's Day he threatened to smash her windows and attack her home address, calling himself Raoul Moat and threatening to burn her car out.
'She was terrified for herself and her family. She feared she would suffer serious harm.'
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: 'This abuse has had a massive effect on my day-to-day life. I live in fear of him getting back in contact with me or approaching me.
'He has had other people watching me, based on previous threats he has made.. I've had to change my address in order to feel safe. I've had to move myself and my children, with massive upheaval, for all of us to make sure he doesn't know where I live.
'I'm scared he will come to my house when drunk and go to my parents' house as he has done before. I'm worried he will cause more distress to my parents and children.
'The fear he will contact me is always at the back of my mind and has caused my mental health to decline.'
Drinkald, of no fixed address, who has 69 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress and battery. Recorder Andrew Latimer jailed him for two years and four months and imposed a five-year restraining order.
The judge said: 'On New Year's Day you threatened to smash her window, going to her house and referring to yourself as Raoul Moat, a name which is notorious locally and threatened to burn her car. I'm sure you did that intending she would fear you.'
David Callan, defending, said: 'He accepts his behaviour was absolutely appalling and he shows a degree of insight. He had lost his job prior to the offences and increased his use of alcohol.
'When asked to leave, he struggled to control his emotions. There was a degree of sexual jealousy, to quote Shakespeare: the green-eyed monster.
'He has said she is a good mother and didn't deserve to be assaulted by him and left fearing for her and her family's safety.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Notting Hill Carnival zombie knife attacker jailed for 18 years
A man who used a zombie knife to slash a teenager at Notting Hill Carnival has been jailed for 18 years. Rumarni Tuitt, 19, used a 12-inch knife to slice open the stomach of 18-year-old Kamani Spooner on August 26, 2024. The defendant, from Walthamstow, east London, was found guilty of attempted murder having admitted possession of a knife. Tuitt was caught carrying a Rambo knife which he swung out at Notting Hill Carnival in 2023, although no-one was injured on that occasion, the Old Bailey heard. He was serving a community order for that offence when he attacked Mr Spooner in front of a crowd of revellers at last year's event. Jailing him for 18 years on Friday, Judge Judy Khan KC said: 'It is not the first time you have travelled to the carnival armed with a fearsome weapon. 'On this occasion, you used it to devastating effect. It is fortunate Mr Spooner escaped with his life. 'There can be no excuse for committing an offence of this gravity.' The attack was in front of a 'substantial number' of people and lunging out with a knife in a crowded public place put others at risk of being injured, she said. Previously, prosecutor Mark Paltenghi had said the two young men did not know each other before their paths crossed in Canal Way, west London, just before 8pm. During the attack, Tuitt had 'sliced open Mr Spooner's stomach with a 12-inch zombie knife' and then stabbed him four more times in the side and back and cut his right forearm. Mr Spooner told police he spent much of the day at the carnival drinking with his friends. Towards the end of the day, a fight broke out around him with three people close by throwing punches, according to his account. Mr Paltenghi had said: 'He then recalls being hit in the back and upon looking at his arm, saw it had been cut, then looked down and saw that his intestines were hanging out. 'He put his hand over them and just ran. 'He cannot cast any light on why it was he would have been attacked.' Tuitt claimed that he was acting in self defence and jurors were told there was no evidence he harboured a grievance against Mr Spooner. In mitigation, Sheryl Nwosu said the defendant's young age, immaturity and neurodivergence had affected his actions. He had displayed 'impulsive and reckless' decision making by choosing to attend Notting Hill Carnival armed with a weapon out of a 'perceived need for self protection', Ms Nwosu said. As Tuitt was being sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, a woman in the public gallery broke down in tears.
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Bishop Auckland drug gang jailed and £13m haul seized
A gang which imported millions of pounds worth of illegal drugs into the north-east of England has been operation involved drug mules carrying Class A and B drugs from Thailand to County Durham, the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) Stoker, 30, from Coundon, received the largest prison sentence with the judge at Teesside Crown Court handing him a 19-year the other nine people sentenced were three brothers who allowed their County Durham home to be used as a safe house, couriers from Sheffield and Wigan and Stoker's parents. A NEROCU spokesman said the gang's couriers were flying to Thailand to collect and bring back the codename Operation Box, the unit worked with UK Border Force to identify the gang, the spokesman said. The Sowerby brothers Christopher, 30, Ian, 32, and Shaun, 37, operated a safe house for the drug operation where both cocaine and cannabis were being stored for onward distribution, NEROCU Goodwin, 25, and Trelawny Brown, 31, were identified as drug mules who travelled to Thailand, while Stoker's father, 48-year-old Brian, and associate Paul Lamb, 45, helped the couriers get to and from the airport, the spokesman said. Stoker's mother Sarah Leighton, 48, and half-brother Ethan Smith, 23, were involved in the counting and storage of cash made from the group's criminality, the spokesman £280,000 in cash, 1.3 tonnes of cannabis and more than 30kg of cocaine were also seized, with the drugs having an estimated street value of almost £13m. The defendants, who all admitted offences including conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on importation controlled drugs, were: Jordan Stoker, of Hambleton Road, Coundon, jailed for 19 yearsBrian Stoker, of Birch Avenue, Shildon, jailed for five years two months Paul Lamb, of McCullagh Gardens, Bishop Auckland, jailed for seven years two monthsChristopher Sowerby, of Teesdale Walk, Shildon, jailed for 13 years one monthShaun Sowerby, of Teesdale Walk, Shildon, jailed for 13 years one month Ian Sowerby, of Teesdale Walk, Shildon, jailed for 10 years 10 monthsMatthew Goodwin, of Kinnaird House, Curtis Street, Wigan, jailed for three years nine monthsTrelawny Brown, of Leedham Close, Sheffield, jailed for three years four months Sarah Leighton and Ethan Smith, both of Queen Street, Shildon, admitted money laundering and were jailed for 22 months and 18 months respectively, both suspended for two years. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
Man brandished 'gun' made of paper bag at police in Telford
A man has been jailed after using an imitation firearm made out of a brown paper bag to intimidate police in Sylvester, 37, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, possession of an imitation firearm to cause distress, possession of class A drugs and attempted burglary in Friday, at Shrewsbury Crown Court, he was sentenced to 19 months in incident happened on 22 February, when West Mercia Police officers were called to reports of a man using a trolley to try and break into a shop in Telford town centre. Upon their arrival, Sylvester used a jumper to cover his face and forged the gun by folding the brown paper charged at the officers in the patrol car brandishing the "gun".The car, while trying to move away from him, got stuck behind car park barriers, which was when Sylvester threatened one of the officers through its window and kicked the officers called for back up as it was dark and they believed he had a real opened the car's boot and threatened the officers again when they got out of the car, and a chase was tackled and arrested."Sylvester's actions were calculated, going to great lengths to ensure officers were called to the scene, including threatening members of the public and trying to break into a shop," said Ch Insp Matt Sanders."He covered his face with a jumper to ensure he wasn't recognised by officers, before manipulating an object to look like a small firearm so he could threaten whoever was responding."The bravery and professionalism shown by both police constables that evening was nothing short of extraordinary." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
