Teen jailed after making 17 prison calls to ex-partner in breach of court order

A teenager who repeatedly contacted his former partner from prison has been jailed after breaching a restraining order designed to protect her.

Durham Crown Court heard that Joshua Hancock, aged 19, made 17 phone calls to his ex-partner while he was being held at HMP Durham, despite being prohibited from contacting her.

Prosecutor Caiomhe Bicknell told the court that only the first call was answered, but the young woman immediately recognised Hancock’s voice. During that conversation, he asked her why she kept getting him “sent down for so long” before she terminated the call.

Ms Bicknell said the first 12 calls, made on July 23 last year, came from a withheld number. A further five calls followed from a number the victim did not recognise.

Defendant made 17 calls from Durham Prison to ex-partner in breach of a restraining order (Image: The Northern Echo)

History of violence and repeated breaches

The court was told Hancock had been placed under a restraining order by magistrates in January last year following his conviction for battery against the same ex-partner. The order barred him from contacting or approaching her.

Despite this, he was jailed in July for breaching the order while on bail.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had met Hancock when they were both young but ended the relationship due to his violent behaviour. She described an incident in which Hancock attempted to force entry into her mother’s home, leading to the first restraining order being imposed in July 2024.

She said Hancock breached that order within weeks and that his behaviour “only got worse”. He was later jailed for assault in August 2024, before being released in December.

Ongoing impact on victim

The following month, Hancock was again convicted of battery and a new restraining order was imposed. Despite this, he continued to move in and out of custody.

The victim told the court that she and her family had also received threatening phone calls, resulting in both her and her sister now receiving counselling. She said she continues to suffer from anxiety and depression and is awaiting a diagnosis for PTSD.

She also described ongoing sleep disruption and nightmares caused by her experiences.

Court hearing and sentence

Ms Bicknell said Hancock appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on January 7, where he admitted harassment in breach of a restraining order. Magistrates declined jurisdiction and committed the case to the Crown Court for sentencing.

Hancock, who represented himself, is currently being held on remand at HMP Preston.

The court heard he has ten previous convictions for 32 offences, including at least six breaches of restraining orders within the past 18 months.

When questioned by Judge Richard Clews, Ms Bicknell confirmed the latest restraining order was due to run until 2028, with the victim seeking protection beyond that date. Hancock told the court he was also subject to a stalking protection order, imposed by magistrates and running until 2031, relating to the same victim.

Judge Clews imposed a new indefinite restraining order, banning Hancock from contacting or approaching his ex-partner “until further order”.

Sentencing him to ten months in prison, the judge warned Hancock about the consequences of any further breaches. He told the defendant that the repeated prison sentences were the result of his own failure to comply with court orders designed to protect the victim.