Terrified mum-to-be, 22, split from boyfriend and underwent abortion after ex hounded her with 4,000 calls
A TERRIFIED mum-to-be split from her boyfriend and underwent an abortion after her ex hounded her with messages from prison. Chloe Lomas, 22, received 4,208 calls and texts in just 77 days from former lover Sam Donnelly after he found out she was pregnant with her new partner. Using an illegally acquired mobile phone from […]
A TERRIFIED mum-to-be split from her boyfriend and underwent an abortion after her ex hounded her with messages from prison.
Chloe Lomas, 22, received 4,208 calls and texts in just 77 days from former lover Sam Donnelly after he found out she was pregnant with her new partner.
Using an illegally acquired mobile phone from his prison cell, jealous Donnelly, 28, bombarded her with threats.
He warned her: “I’m not going to let this go. I’m going to end your lives.
”He can’t protect you from me and no one can protect him.
“You think I’m lying and that I’m not going to kill you but I’m coming for you and I’m going to shoot you all. I felt like ending my life but I want yours first.
”I can’t believe you’re pregnant. I always said you won’t be able to get another boyfriend and yet you get one.
“My head is stewing. I hope you’re happy because I will take everything away when I get out. You are f***ed.”
Miss Lomas’ partner, named only as Nathan, ended their romance because he feared for his own children from a previous relationship.
She subsequently had an abortion fearing Donnelly would carry out his threats and even offered herself up to be assaulted when he threatened to have her mother beaten up.
Donnelly was arrested at Forest Bank jail in Salford, Greater Manchester, after he sent three masked friends to Miss Lomas’ home armed with a handgun to terrorise her family.
The gang pointed the gun at the faces of both Miss Lomas’ father and older sister before running off and the family had to seek refuge in various safe houses.
Miss Lomas, from Stalybridge, said of the termination: ”To this day this decision is incredibly painful and upsetting for me but ultimately Sam was the driving force behind it.
”Sam told me that he would have killed me and the lad I started a relationship with unless I split up with him and I believed him.
“I am terrified to go out now because I don’t know what he will do and he won’t leave me alone.
“I have been totally controlled by Sam – I have been living in absolute fear of him. I honestly think he will kill me one day.
”If he can’t get to me he will get to my family. I have been left feeling nervous and worthless all the time.”
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Donnelly also of Stalybridge, was jailed for five years and eight months after he admitted coercive behaviour, using prohibited articles in prison and conspiracy to commit violent disorder.
He was also banned from contacting Miss Lomas and her family for life under the terms of a restraining order.
The court heard the couple had dated for five years but they split up due to Donnelly’s controlling behaviour.
Wayne Jackson, prosecuting, said: ”He would repeatedly cheat on Chloe but if she ever told him she wanted to end their relationship he would make death threats.
”During one 77 day period there were 4,208 contacts with her using various phones.
“If she didn’t take his calls he would smash her windows or get his friends to do it.
”She decided she had had enough and started a new relationship with a man called Nathan, but that went down like a lead balloon with the defendant who was in prison and he made various death threats.
”She fell pregnant by her new partner but threats issued by Donnelly became so frightening and worrying that Nathan who had children of his own decided to end the relationship.
“Because her boyfriend had left her, she had a termination.”
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service available. from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Despite the toxic background, Miss Lomas retained contact with Donnelly but continued to be bombarded with further calls from him when she refused to get back with him.
Other messages read: ”I will make you and your family’s lives hell. I will destroy you all.
“You’re going to get a big shock soon. You haven’t seen me go mad but I have a bomb ready to blow up the Lomas family and I’m going to shoot Nathan in the head.
”I’ve got mates who love me and they would do anything for me. It will never end.”
The hate campaign reached a climax in August 2019 after Miss Lomas went out with friends and received another message from Donnelly saying: ”Watch me now – I’m going to do my s**t.
“You’ll be sorry. Your mum’s getting it. I’ll make her feel as though she wants to die.
“Watch what’s going to happen. I’m going to shoot your house.”
Miss Lomas eventually replied saying: ”Do it and I call the police – you’re evil.”
‘Living in fear’
Within half an hour three men turned up at her family home and burst in while her parents were downstairs.
One of the men was waving the gun from side to side and pointing it at Miss Lomas’ terrified father Thomas, who picked up a chair in an attempt to defend himself.
The victim’s mother Angela was so frightened she fled the house and hid in a neighbour’s shed.
The gang also pointed the gun in the face of Miss Lomas’ sister Katie before running off.
Just 30 minutes after the attack, Donnelly texted again saying: ”Think about what you do now putting my name to this.
“I’ll get that police van burnt down. Think about what you do next.”
He was arrested later but refused to be interviewed by police.
The court heard he had 33 previous offences including battery, affray and causing grievous bodily harm.
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In mitigation for Donnelly, defence counsel Simon Blakebrough said: ”He accepts causing the individuals to go round to the house but says he did not ask anyone to bring a firearm with them.”
But sentencing Judge Maurice Greene told Donnelly said: ”These were prolonged and violent acts by you involving others who were terrified by your behaviour.
“These serious offences undoubtedly blighted the lives of a number of people.”