AN abusive boyfriend subjected his estranged partner to a near year-long campaign of harassment and threatened to ‘blow her face off’ with a shotgun.

George More, from Bewsey, also confronted his former girlfriend in the street and told her he would stab her during 11 months of abuse.

The 29-year-old, who has a string of convictions for domestic offences, was jailed for three years on Thursday, January 13.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that More was released from a 21-month term of imprisonment for stalking another ex-partner in late 2019.

He began an ‘on and off’ relationship with his latest victim early the next year, which led to him breaching a restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex as his new girlfriend lived on the same street.

The defendant was then arrested during a police raid in December 2020, and subsequently received a suspended sentence in May last year after being convicted of possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

On the advice of social services, who raised concerns over her two young children, she then ended their romance.

But More, of Folly Lane, ‘took it very badly’.

Prosecuting, David Birrell told the court: “He pursued her and harassed her over a period of months. He sent her countless text messages and left her countless voicemails, really bombarding her.

“He would contact her all throughout the night, which kept her up throughout the night.

“Many of the messages were threatening or sinister and he threatened to kill himself if she did not take him back. He threatened to harm her and kill her and her children.”

One such message stated: “If you don’t let me see the kids, I’m going to dig up that shotgun near the train tracks in Longbarn and I’m going to come to your house and blow your face off.”

On another occasion, More confronted the complainant while she was with friends in Warrington town centre and threatened to stab her.

He also attended her home on numerous occasions, sometimes shouting at her and banging on the front door and windows.

The police were called after one such incident, described as the ‘final straw’, in November last year on a day in which he left 64 threatening voicemails on her phone and sent more than 100 texts in the space of only a few hours.

Even after being remanded into custody awaiting legal proceedings, More continued to contact her from prison by sending her ‘manipulative’ letters – including one in which he urged her to withdraw her complaint – as well as poems and drawings.

A statement read out to the court on behalf of the victim, who was present in the public gallery, described how she felt ‘defeated’ by his persistent actions.

His previous convictions also include four counts of battery and perverting the course of justice against a partner in 2015, which led to him being locked up for four months.

Defence barrister Claire Jones said: “When the relationship was on, it was good – but when it was bad, it was very bad.

“He knows that alcohol and drugs have triggered how he has behaved – he’s adamant that, whatever happens today, he will deal with them.

“That’s the glimmer of hope in this defendant’s case. He doesn’t want to do this again and come back before the courts.

“This is someone who wants to make recompense.

“He’s sorry for what he’s done and knows he’s dealt with things badly and harmed the person he loved the most.

More, who appeared via video link to HMP Altcourse, admitted harassment during an earlier hearing.

Sentencing, judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: “When your offending is set against the background of your previous offending, it’s abundantly clear that you have an established and ongoing problem when it comes to your relationships with partners.

“There clearly, at times, have been positive elements of this relationship.

"But, clearly, when things go wrong it’s an altogether different matter.

“Throughout, you have been threatening and aggressive simply because she did not want to cooperate with you or see you.

“One can only imagine what it’s like to be on the receiving end of this sort of behaviour week in, week out.

“It’s a nightmare, that’s how it comes across.”

More was also handed a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim and her children.