Man took claw hammer into pub to intimidate and frighten ex-partner from village near Peterborough jailed

Philip Spencer custody photo (image: Cambridgeshire Police).

A man who entered a pub with a hammer to intimidate his former partner has been jailed.

Philip Spencer, 39, was in a relationship with the victim for 17 months but this ended at the start of April over concerns about his drug use.

However, Spencer continued to contact her, despite being told to stop, through emails, text messages, phone calls and even turned up at her house in a village, near Peterborough.

On 21 April, Spencer once again turned up uninvited at the victim’s house and walked in, challenging her that she had been seeing someone else.

The victim told Spencer to leave but he refused and a scuffle broke out with her eventually getting him away.

Later that evening, at about 6.15pm, Spencer once again turned up at the house and asked the victim’s daughter where she was.

He went to a nearby pub and retrieved a claw hammer from his car before going inside.

Spencer spotted the victim with a friend and walked over while abusing them, saying he would share photos of her.

He held the hammer up but the victim’s daughter’s boyfriend managed to wrestle it from him and Spencer left the pub.

Over the next week, Spencer continued to harass the victim with unwanted calls, messages and emails to her and she even suspected him of loitering outside her house.

On April 26, at about 5.30pm, he once again turned up at her house and accused the victim of cheating on him.

The victim said she thought Spencer turned up at her friend's Fletton home at about 1am the following morning after they heard a loud bang on the window.

Around this time, the victim also checked her work emails and found Spencer had sent a threatening message.

On 18 August, at Cambridge Crown Court, Spencer, of Chapel Street, Stanground, Peterborough, was jailed for 15 months having pleaded guilty to affray, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and two counts of stalking without fear, alarm and distress.

DC Stacey Neve said: “Spencer’s actions were very intimidating for his victim and I would like to thank her for supporting us with this conviction.

“As for Spencer, I am glad he has faced justice because not only did he stalk her, he also frightened her with the claw hammer.”