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Cardiff Man Sentenced for Threatening Ex-Partner and Her Baby
A man from Cardiff has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for making serious threats against his ex-partner and her 14-week-old baby. Curtis Hoffman, aged 30, of Tidenham Road, Caerau, was found guilty of sending threatening communications and breaching a restraining order.
During a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, it was revealed that Hoffman had previously received a suspended prison sentence in December of the previous year for threatening to damage the woman’s property. Following these incidents, he was also placed under a restraining order.
Prosecutor Lucia Cavaliere detailed the threats made by Hoffman, which included a disturbing voicemail in which he stated his intentions to “crush” the infant’s head and threats to burn down the complainant’s house. Over the course of a 15-minute period on August 20 this year, Hoffman sent multiple voice notes and an email expressing these violent threats, including one where he claimed he would “splatter” the baby against a wall.
The case came to light when the complainant reported the threats to the police. Following her report, Hoffman was arrested but refused to leave his cell for questioning.
In court, Hoffman’s defence acknowledged that the threats were “appalling,” and noted that they were made while he was on a “binge.” It was also mentioned that the complainant’s new partner is a close family member of Hoffman.
Judge Lucy Crowther acknowledged the personal struggles Hoffman faced following the end of his relationship but stated that this did not justify his actions. She characterised the threats as “serious, cruel, spiteful, vindictive, and terrifying.” The judge determined that the severity of Hoffman’s actions warranted immediate imprisonment.
With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas, Hoffman was sentenced to 26 months in custody, with an additional two months activated from his previous suspended sentence, resulting in a total of 28 months. He is expected to serve 40% of his sentence in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community.
