A Royal Wootton Bassett man who threatened to distribute his ex-girlfriend’s sexual images on social media and via the post has been sentenced.
Brett Fairclough told the mother of his children that her parents would receive printed copies of the intimate photos delivered to their door, and he’d also post them on social media.
The sexual images were taken by or shared with the defendant during a 12-year relationship, which was ended by the victim after alleged domestic abuse.
In January this year, he sent the woman a screen recording of said images and stated: “…sure your parents will be proud seeing there little girl expose herself like that lol”.
Fairclough added that he “would pay good money to see there faces when I get them all printed off and post them to there address”.
In another message, he went on to say: “Choose your enemy’s wisely babe and my god you’ve chosen the worst person to be yours…so well done, now you’ve had a little taster of what’s to come moving forward you heartless little girl.”
At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 14 August, he pleaded guilty to threatening to share a photograph or film of person in an intimate state.
It comes after Fairclough failed to attend the first hearing for the offence. The court issued a warrant for his arrest, which he was picked up on in Oxfordshire before being re-released on bail.
In a related case back in March, the defendant pleaded guilty to harassment of his ex-girlfriend. He sent over 200 WhatsApp messages to his victim – many of which were riddled with jealously and possessiveness.
Then he was sentenced to a 12-month community order, whereby he must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity work with the probation service.
Sentencing for the new offence, magistrates said the case should have been brought to court at the same time as the harassment offence – and deemed the sentence handed down in March appropriate for both matters.
A note on the court document reads: “The Magistrates found that this case could have been dealt with at the same time as later offences on 4 March 2025.”
They imposed a six-month conditional discharge, meaning Fairclough won’t be punished for threatening to share a photograph or film of person in an intimate state unless he commits another offence during the course of the discharge period.
A 12-month restraining order was also imposed, meaning the defendant is prohibited from contacting his ex-partner directly or indirectly or going to the street in which she lives.
In a victim personal statement, the woman said: ‘It’s taken the last few months rebuilding myself and the children. There is a long road ahead still, and I will never fully heal from the things you have done to me.
‘I’m becoming an even better version of myself and I will continue to be a brilliant mother and give the children the life they always deserved.’
Due to an error by the Crown Prosecution Service, a charge of intentional strangulation against the same woman was withdrawn.
