Sacked worker who sent death threats to former bosses jailed

Conrad Byatt (51) of London Road, St Ives, sent the first set of messages just before midnight on March 16 to one of his former managers.

Byatt previously worked as a cleaner for the woman’s business and she saw the messages when she checked her work phone the following morning.

The messages included comments that Byatt was watching her, knew “all her movements” and was “coming for her”.

Byatt also sent her a link to a YouTube video where he could be seen being aggressive, making threats and showing hostility towards police. The video was later deleted.

On March 17, the morning after he sent the first messages, Byatt made two phone calls to the other joint manager of the same business who had already taken out a restraining order against him.

The order had been in place since December and had been breached once already. The calls were not answered by the woman and no voicemails were left.

The threats came after Byatt was sacked from the company in May by the two women after complaints from customers.

Less than 30 minutes after the second round of threats, Byatt messaged a third woman who he used to work for.

He sent the woman various distressing messages, including one which read: “I want you dead and it will happen.”

Byatt also warned the woman to “look round every corner” and said he was “coming for her”.

Before this, Byatt had last spoken to the woman in June. He was sacked from the company the same month after questions were raised about the quality of his work.

In all of the messages and phone calls Byatt used the same number. He then messaged his probation officer, telling him: “You’ve no idea what I’m going to do.”

The probation officer contacted police and Byatt was arrested on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and breaching a court order.

In police interview he answered “no comment” to all questions asked. However, he later pleaded guilty to the offences at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court.

Magistrates handed Byatt 26 weeks in prison. He was also given a two year restraining order against the two women he harassed, with his existing restraining order for the third woman remaining in place.

PC Toby McEvoy, who investigated, said: “Byatt’s behaviour against his three former managers was completely unacceptable and his actions left them all in genuine fear of their safety.

“No-one should ever be treated in this way and I have no doubt receiving the messages must have been extremely distressing for them.

“I would strongly urge anyone who believes they are being stalked or harassed to get in touch with us.”