Anthony Billings: Sheffield woman left 'terrified' by ex partner's persistent campaign of unwanted contact

A Sheffield man has been put behindb bars, after he breached court orders to continue his campaign of persistent and unwanted contact against his former partner. Sheffield Crown Court was told how the defendant, Anthony Billings, had been in a relationship with the complainant since 2017, and it had come to an end by 2022, after which time he ignored her wishes and attempts to block him online, to continue with his attempts to contact her.

As well as creating new social media accounts to contact her, Billings’ offending also saw him jump on the bonnet of the complainant’s car, and turn up at her Sheffield home and workplace.  

Describing the circumstances of his offending, The judge, Recorder Jeremy Hill-Baker, told Billings: “You failed to appreciate the end of the relationship with [the complainant]...but the relationship was not an entirely happy one, resulting in you receiving four months’ imprisonment in 2022 for you assaulting the complainant.

“In August 2022, a restraining order was made, and within a month you were breaching that order, calling her, messaging her, using Instagram to contact her…she had blocked you on Facebook and all forms of media.”

The court heard how Billings, aged 36, continued to contact the complainant in spite of the restraining order, and the steps she had taken to block him on social media; and she took the decision to take out a non-molestation order.

Describing incidents which put Billings in breach of the orders, Recorder Hill-Baker continued: “You stood in front of her car, terrifying her, jumping on to the bonnet. You turned up at her place of work, terrifying her. In June, as she drove past and stopped, you blocked her path and managed to get into her car.”

During another incident, prosecuting barrister James Baird described how later that day, the complainant’s 12-year-old son saw Billings approaching the property, and he proceeded to shout through the letterbox, asking to see his son.

“All of these incidents would have had a terrifying impact on her,” Recorder Hill-Baker said, during a hearing held on October 27, 2023.

Billings was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, two offences of breaching a restraining order, and two offences of breaching a non-molestation order. 

Mr Baird said Billings has a number of previous convictions, including ones relating to violence, threatening behaviour, drug possession and supply. 

Defending, Francis Edusei told the court that Billings had been diagnosed with Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder.

“He expresses a desire when he is released to work as a painter/decorator, and to get on with his life. He knows if he contacts her, he will be back here,” Mr Edusei continued. 

Recorder Hill-Baker jailed Billings for two years, and imposed another restraining order, prohibiting Billings, of Deanswood Drive, Manchester from contacting the complainant, without limit of time. 

The Recorder said he had taken the reports prepared on Billings’ behalf into consideration, and noted that he has not been ‘properly medicated,’ in particular for his personality disorder. 

Recorder Hill-Baker said he had been able to reduce Billings’ sentence from 32 months to 24 months, after taking all of the circumstances and his guilty pleas into consideration, but was not able to suspend it.