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A man who harassed his ex-partner before crashing his car into hers during a pursuit has been jailed. 

Kevin Patten, 35, of Halfpenny Close, Liverpool, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, after harassing his ex-partner for two months. He was seen laughing in court as his ex read out an impact statement about how it affected her.

Kenneth Grant, prosecuting, said Chelsea Lloyd and Patten had been in a relationship since 2010, and share two children together, but had split up in May 2021. The harassment began the following year.

On October 10, 2022 at around 8.45pm, Ms Lloyd received six abusive text messages from Patten, reports the Liverpool Echo. One of the messages read: “You best be ready for what is coming your way”, and “you have seen nothing yet”. In the early hours of the next morning, he called her a “good for nothing c***”, and told her to “f***ing watch”.

Around 15 hours later, at 6:40pm, Patten turned up at the victim’s home and kicked at her front door, repeatedly called her, and said “if you don’t answer I am going to volley the door.” Mr Grant explained that Patten blamed Ms Lloyd for the breakdown of a new relationship, stating: “Hope you’re proud of yourself, no reason why you couldn’t have let me go in peace.”

On October 12 at around 10.40am, Ms Lloyd spotted Patten, who worked as a taxi driver at the time, driving past her workplace, so locked the door as she feared for her safety. She waited for him to leave before leaving herself, but as she drove down St Mary’s Road she realised he had been “lying in wait” and saw him turn out of St James’ Street and begin to follow her.

He continued to drive very quickly behind her, following her through Liverpool, before intentionally crashing into the back of her car twice, damaging the light cluster on her bumper. The victim called the police and the chase continued, before Patten drove diagonally across Ms Lloyd’s car again forcing her to stop.

He vacated his car and began abusing Ms Lloyd, before trying to open her driver-side door but she managed to escape. The following day she received three more phone calls from a withheld number, but recognised Patten’s voice.

In one of these calls, he said he “hoped she would die”, and in another he said “I was not going to lay a finger on you, I just wanted you to see what you had done”, referring to her allegedly ending his new relationship. Patten was arrested and released on bail with conditions not to contact Ms Lloyd, but on November 3, the victim received a call from him from a withheld number saying “are you going to get me locked up for this call or what?”.

He also said “you on your way to Knowsley to see your new fella you f***ing sweat”, which concerned the victim as she did not understand how he knew where she was going. On November 21 at around 9am, the victim was driving down Garston Old Road when she saw the defendant drive past her in his taxi and he stuck his middle finger up.

Later the same day she saw him in the same area at a time he knew she would be there, and felt nervous he might ram her car again. Over the next few days, he repeatedly phoned the victim asking to see his children, and called her a “f***ing scumbag”.

Mr Grant detailed that the victim said during the relationship, whenever she would try to socialise Patten would text her asking where she was and who she was with. Ms Lloyd also said the defendant resented her having her own business and the independence it afforded her, saying he once described it as “a cult that ruined our relationship”.

In a victim impact statement read by the prosecution, Ms Lloyd said: “I felt I would be subjected to constant abuse for just enjoying my life even though he could go out and enjoy his.” When the statement was being read in court, Patten laughed and shook his head repeatedly, which Recorder Michael Maher noted and referred to as “laughing incessantly”.

Patten has no previous convictions, and pleaded guilty to one count of putting a person in fear of violence through harassment between October 9 and December 2, 2022. Charlotte Kenny, defending, said Patten’s behaviour was triggered by a fear he would not be able to see his children, as he claimed he had not seen them for six weeks during the summer.

She said: “The relationship broke down and it would seem what sparked this disgraceful behaviour was the issue as far as his children are concerned. His reaction was very extreme but it was fuelled by a fear of not seeing his boys. He wants to see his children and work on controlling his emotions.

“He simply lost control, he is sorry for the situation, he does understand that his behaviour was unacceptable.”

Recorder Maher said the incident on October 12 was the most serious, and “must have been a terrifying experience” for the victim. In sentencing, he said: “It seems that abuse and violence had nothing whatsoever to do with your two children. That was based upon your belief that she had caused a rift between you and your new partner.” He added: “I accept that you love your boys, but this is not the example you want to set for them.

“They will look to you as a role model for how to treat their future romantic partners and I am sure you will not want them to treat their partners this way.” Patten was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment and a restraining order was implemented for five years prohibiting from contacting Ms Lloyd.

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