Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Dominic Glen, 33, of Croydon, has been jailed after threatening to firebomb his ex-partner in a bid to make her drop charges over a prior assault.
At the Old Bailey on Thursday, August 14, he was charged with assault by beating after allegedly crushing and bruising his ex-lover’s arm during a stairway altercation at their Bromley house in December of last year.
Glen, who doesn’t have a stable address, started harassing the woman in March of this year by calling her regularly without using caller ID in an attempt to get her to drop the accusations against him. On one occasion at her home in Croydon, she found him in her neighbour’s garden and he shouted at her ‘We need to talk’. According to the court, Glen also made unfounded accusations that she was seeing other men.
When Glen called the woman a ‘w***e’, threatened to smash her front door, and threatened to petrol bomb the property if she did not drop the charges, the situation became heated. She also said that he would show up at the residence and enter “whenever he wanted.”
In a victim impact statement, the woman said this made her feel ‘awful’ and ‘on edge all the time’.
“I don’t want to drop the charges. Why should I when he attacked me? That’s not okay,”
She said.
When Glen was arrested, he remained silent. He entered a guilty plea to charges of assault by beating, harassment with threat of violence, and attempt to pervert the course of justice at Croydon Crown Court after being charged in March and appearing at Bromley Magistrates’ Court. Glen has prior convictions for hostile communications, criminal damage, and violence.
According to defense attorney Chloe Birch, Glen was battling substance abuse, trauma, and mania at the time of the crimes. Additionally, she maintained that the harm did not amount to “serious distress.” Ms. Birch said that her client had changed after his arrest, exhibiting regret and becoming calmer and drug-free.
Judge Simon Mayo KC told Glen:
“You threatened her with violence and sought to intimidate her. The threats you made included to firebomb her house,”
Adding that the offence was aggravated due to the domestic context and relevant previous convictions.
Judge Mayo stated that he was forced to sentence Glen to prison immediately. Glen was given 45 weeks for harassment, 15 months for physical assault, and no additional punishment for tampering with the legal system.
How does the court’s tackle of threats like firebombing influence victim protection?
Courts assess threats such as firebombing as high culpability offenses, often involving significant planning, premeditation, and intent to intimidate or coerce the victim. This triggers stronger protective measures and harsher sentencing to reflect the severity of the threat and potential harm.
Courts consider the serious distress and disruption caused to victims by such threats. This leads to prioritizing protective orders, victim support services, and legal measures that shield victims from further harm and intimidation.
Firebombing threats typically result in custodial sentences or strict community orders to restrict offenders’ liberty while providing punishment and ensuring rehabilitation.