A stalker ex-boyfriend who warned his former partner he would make infamous gunman Raoul Moat "look like a f***ing minor" has been sentenced to over two years in prison for a campaign of controlling and coercive behaviour.
Chilling Threats and Psychological Terror
Peter Ellery, aged 38, from Shenstone Road in Smethwick, subjected his ex-girlfriend to months of psychological terror both during and after their relationship ended. The court heard how Ellery controlled who she spoke to, repeatedly checked her phone, and made any male friends leave the room when they visited the couple's home.
Even basic bodily functions became grounds for suspicion, with Ellery accusing his partner of cheating when she got up to use the toilet at night. "He would accuse her of sneaking out to see someone else," prosecutor Matthew Wyatt told Birmingham Crown Court.
Escalation to Violence and Threats
When the victim attempted to end the relationship, Ellery's behaviour escalated dramatically. He became angry, smashed household items, and threatened to commit suicide if she left him. After she finally broke free, the harassment intensified with chilling messages including "I'm watching your every move" and detailed surveillance claims about her daily activities.
The most disturbing threat referenced Raoul Moat, the gunman who shot his ex-girlfriend, killed her new partner, and injured a police officer before taking his own life in 2010. Ellery warned: "I will make Raoul Moat look like a f***ing minor."
Courtroom Condemnation and Sentence
Judge Sarah Buckingham delivered a scathing assessment of Ellery's character during sentencing on Friday, February 6. She branded him a "narcissist" who loved himself more than anyone else and described him as "self-obsessed" with a tendency to blame others for his predicament.
"You are an insecure man with low self-esteem," Judge Buckingham told Ellery directly. "Until you accept your flaws and weaknesses in your own personality and until you accept responsibility you will always be a risk to women like her or future partners."
Pattern of Destructive Behaviour
The court heard how Ellery's campaign extended beyond his ex-partner to include her family and friends. He contacted her relatives threatening to "destroy" her life and called a friend with threats to find his ex and "shoot everyone in the house."
Ellery showed weapons to his victim and "boasted" about having guns, adding to her terror. Even after his arrest and court orders prohibiting contact, he continued sending vile text messages that left her feeling "horribly degraded and worthless."
Criminal History and Defence Claims
Ellery, who admitted controlling and coercive behaviour and stalking causing serious alarm or distress, has more than 50 previous offences on his record. His defence lawyer Amrita Marwaha claimed he was "embarrassed" by his actions and suggested drugs had "clouded his judgement."
She told the court Ellery had completed a warehouse course while in custody and expressed a desire to move away from the Birmingham area upon release. However, Judge Buckingham questioned his claim to probation officers that he couldn't work due to disability, noting that if he was "fit enough to do work in prison he's fit enough to get a job when he's outside."
Restraining Order Imposed
Ellery was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court. The judge imposed a restraining order prohibiting any contact with his ex-partner, providing some measure of protection for the victim who had described feeling "suffocated and scared to go out of her own home."
The case highlights the devastating impact of coercive control and stalking behaviours, with the Raoul Moat reference serving as particularly chilling evidence of the psychological terror inflicted upon domestic abuse victims.
