Man in court for making death threats (From York Press)

Man in court for making death threats

10:10am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Selby & Tadcaster By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

A YOUNG Selby area man has been given a suspended prison sentence for a campaign of death threats and harassment that left the victim too terrified to sleep in her own home.

Sandra White, prosecuting, said Emma Riley had a 30-minute panic attack when she received the first of a bombardment of text messages and phone calls from Daniel James Cram.

They included repeated death threats such as “I will kill you” and “sleep tight, don’t let the murderers bite” and began eight days after police cautioned Cram for sending her text messages.

Mrs White told York Magistrates Court:: “She was scared to return to her home address – she was worried he might turn up and stayed at a friend’s address for a few nights after the incident.”

Cram phoned Miss Riley 20 times in one day, despite her telling him not to ring. The couple had been in a relationship for about a month when Miss Riley told Cram it was over.

Cram, 20, of Dane Avenue, Thorpe Willoughby, pleaded guilty to harassing Miss Riley between January 27 and January 29 and was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months on condition he does 12 months’ supervision and goes on a probation rehabilitation course. He must also pay Miss Riley £150 compensation and £85 prosecution costs and was barred from any contact with her for the next two years, including going near her home address.

For Cram, Kevin Blount said there had been no physical confrontation and Cram was relatively immature. “He needs to learn how to handle the end of a relationship,” said the solicitor. “Ending a relationship is part of every day life.” Cram has a part-time job. Mrs White said the two young people met at The Three Swans pub in Selby on January 27 to sort out their differences after their relationship ran into problems and at the end of that meeting, Miss Riley told Cram it was over. He left and she went to a friend’s to spend the night, before the text messages began.