Rugby man assaulted ex-partner and then smashed up her home ‘so she would not have anywhere safe to live with her young children’

After assaulting his ex-partner, a Rugby man began to smash up her home ‘so she would not have anywhere safe to live with her young children.’

And jailing him for a total of two years and two months, a judge at Warwick Crown Court told Philip Darcy he should be ‘thoroughly ashamed’ of his behaviour.

Darcy (27) of Borrowdale, Rugby, had pleaded guilty to harassment, common assault on his ex-partner and a friend of hers, causing damage and two charges of assaulting emergency workers.

Prosecutor Graeme Simpson said that Darcy and his ex-partner had been in a relationship last year, but by September it had deteriorated because of his drinking and his behaviour.

he made it clear to him that the relationship was over.

She was met at Rugby railway station by a female friend who drove her home where they found Darcy waiting – and she again made it clear the relationship was over.

Darcy refused to accept that, and after leaving he came back and angrily asked her: “Are you joking?”

As her friend, who had tried to reason with Darcy earlier in the day to get him to accept the situation, tried to stand between them, he grabbed his ex-partner by her throat.

And when he let go, he then pushed her friend, causing her to fall against a table.

The women left, and when they returned they found Darcy had smashed two internal doors and a window, saying he had done it so his ex-partner would have nowhere safe to live with her children.

As the case was being outlined, Darcy kept making comments under his breath, at which Judge Anthony Potter declared: “However controlling he has been of other people, he is not controlling this court. He will remain silent.”

Mr Simpson said that at the beginning of November Darcy sent his victim 33 messages saying he was going to kill himself, and one telling her he was ‘bleeding out.’

Ten days later he made several calls to her, in one of which he threatened he was going to get her – and two days after that he called her no fewer than 128 times.

After he was arrested on November 15, Darcy admitted making contact with her, despite being prohibited from doing so, but denied making threats.

The arrest had taken place at the Holly Bush pub in Rugby, where he was living at the time, and after being allowed to go outside for a cigarette, he became abusive on being asked to go back inside.

He swore and headbutted one of the officers to the face, and when he was taken to the ground to be restrained, he bit another on his arm, breaking the skin.

Mr Simpson said Darcy, who later made further threats had previous convictions including five offences of assault, and in 2019 he was sentenced for the harassment of a previous partner and smashing up his own mother’s home.

David Everett, defending, said: “Mr Darcy knows he will receive a custodial sentence today.”

The judge commented: “Consistently blaming outside events or other people for his behaviour does not impress the court.”

Jailing Darcy, Judge Potter told him: “Society is tired of your behaviour and your inability to understand the courts will not accept violence and threatening behaviour by people like you who take out their feelings of inadequacy by assaults on females.

“You strangled her, leaving marks on her neck, and then turned your attention to her friend.

“Then, having been left in the house, when she returned to her own home, you mashed up her home, as you had your own mother’s home just a few months before, telling her you were going to make sure there was nowhere safe for her to live.

“You should be thoroughly ashamed of that.”