by A domestic abuser who treated his partner as his ‘property’ claimed the court sentence would be ‘light work’ before locking him up for 31 months.
James Rogers subjected his girlfriend to a horrific campaign of abuse and harassment, the Liverpool Echo reports. He threatened to share personal pictures of her online, said he would cover her father’s hears in mud during his funeral, make up to 100 alarming phone calls a day and called her ‘dirty dirty dirty’, the court heard.
The 24-year-old claimed he would only receive probation for his shameful actions – a sentence he described as ‘light work’. But instead he was jailed by a judge who said it was ‘very offensive’.
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Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday (April 11) how Rogers, also known as James Heckingbottom, had been with his victim since 2020. She described their relationship as ‘violent and abusive’. and her ‘extremely jealous, paranoid and controlling behaviour’, which leaves her ‘in fear of her life’.
Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, told how Rogers made threats to his family on Instagram, told her he would burn down her mother’s house and said he would falsely report her to the RSPCA for ‘mistreating’ her dog. The defendant called her names including ‘sl*g, sl*t, dog and dirty little rat’, demanded she change her clothes to his liking, instructed her to take off her legs shaved and messaged her on Facebook telling her he would post. sex images of her online.
It was also said that Rogers ‘asked her why she was following other men on social media’ and ‘demanded that they meet him for a fight’. One violent incident happened on May 12, after the couple had been drinking at home.
Shortly before 11pm, she left the address and went to a nearby shop before visiting a friend’s house. She did not return until about 4am, after which an argument ensued and Rogers ‘confronted her’.
She hit him with the left ear, and then he grabbed her hair and she grabbed him. The two spent the next five minutes tussling in the living room, leaving her with scratch marks and a black eye from where he had elbowed her in the face.
Rogers was later granted a domestic violence protection order in May 2023, barring him from contacting the complainant for a month. He was banned from seeing her further under bail conditions imposed on August 23.
But, three days later, he started shouting at her while ‘red in the face’ during an altercation on Seel Street in Liverpool city center – with his girlfriend fleeing into the Ropewalks Hotel after he said with her: “Mate, you best wait. I Your chin will jump.”
Rogers then began bombarding her with calls and texts, saying in his messages: “I’ll kill you, you dirty, dirty sl*t. You stupid sl*t.
“I’ll punch you up. I’ll snap your neck
“Listen, I’ll beat you. I’ll lick your chin now.”
His tirade only ended when he was arrested. Then, after her father’s death the following month, Rogers threatened to get up on his bike and disrupt his funeral.
On September 30, he appeared outside her flat on Stanley Street in the city center and began calling her ‘constantly’ ‘every 10 minutes or so’ from the early hours from a hold number – at call her more than 100 times during the day. When she replied, ‘he demanded to see her’.
Rogers continued his rampage even when police officers attended the scene. He was later arrested at the Premier Inn Liverpool North in Bootle.
But he continued his contact there on October 5 after being remanded in custody at Altcourse prison. In the first call, Rogers started ‘being too nice’ and told her he ‘failed’ her because ‘he called her from one of the lads’ phones’.
But, after calling her back, he claimed he was only ‘going to get 12 months probation’ which he called ‘light work’. The prisoner told him that he was ‘in the pad with his brother and a few lads from Kirkby’.
In a statement read out to the court on her behalf, her ex gave an account of how ‘she was unable to grieve properly for her father’ as a result of his actions. She added: “I have no self-esteem or confidence now, I don’t trust anyone and I believe everyone is out to hurt me.
“I know this is all because of Jay. My mind doesn’t function the right way anymore.”
Rogers was also sentenced for an incident at around 5.15pm on September 25, when he was seen riding an off-road motorcycle in St Helens. Police patrols followed as the vehicle was driven at high speed towards Ashcroft Street.
The unlicensed and uninsured rider appeared to be ‘running away’ from officers before crashing into a van on Parr Stocks Road. Rogers was left with blood pouring from his left hand and complaining of pain in his finger and shoulder after the collision.
Emily Land, defending, told the court: “The defendant’s immature and naive behavior and faulty thinking means that he has not really understood the final impact his appalling behavior is likely to have on this young woman, probably for the rest of her . This is a young defender – he just turned 24 this week.
“He spent his birthday in prison. He doesn’t want to spend any more time there.
“He doesn’t want to spend another birthday in prison. This is his first time in custody.
“He recognizes that he has abandonment and attachment issues. As a result, he has dealt with her.
“He is heartbroken that this is the result of his first serious relationship. He accepts that his behavior was unacceptable and wrong.
“He’s desperate for help to manage his emotions. He’s the one who has to make that change, and he’s taking those steps slowly.
“Everything affected him. He was struggling financially and he took it out on her, which is completely unacceptable.
“He wants to find employment. He wants to start his own family.
“He recognizes that this is punishment for his behavior, which was completely out of character. He does not want to subject anyone else to that behavior again.”
Rogers, formerly of Hurst Park Drive in Huyton, admitted threats to reveal private sexual images, controlling or coercive behaviour, stalking, assault occasioning bodily harm, dangerous driving, driving without a license and driving without insurance. Appearing via video link at HMP Altcourse wearing a black Nike zip-up top, he was jailed for 31 months.
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: “These offenses reflect a very abusive relationship in which you manipulated and abused, in so many different ways, your former partner. You did so when you did not she wanted to do anything with you, constantly and relentlessly. , using your phone – one day alone, you tried to talk to her on 100 separate occasions.
“You were very abusive towards her, calling her abusive and insulting names. You abused her.
“I saw her in court, and she is small and a little taken. Although she was brave enough to fight back, she was not really like you.
“You publicly threatened her extensively, using social media, personal photos of her. You even threatened to disrupt her father’s funeral by using your motorbike to spray mud on the hearse.
“During your time together, in your arrogant mind, you treated her not as a person but as property. She was subjected to violence and humiliation.
“I note that you have, in the past, shown that you have had some mental health difficulties. This is the first offense for which you will receive a prison sentence, and your last offense was a long time ago when you were much younger.”
Rogers was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for 10 years. He was disqualified from driving for two years and 11 months and must take an extended retest before being allowed back on the roads.
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