Jilted tutor who harassed ex-girlfriend given restraining order

2023-07-03

Jilted tutor who bombarded ex-girlfriend with 116 bank transfers in just 12 weeks and branded her a ‘home wrecking s**g’ in slew of abusive messages after she dumped him is given restraining order

Sacha Cohen-Chowdhury sent 116 bank transfers to his ex Heather Butcher

A jilted tutor who bombarded his ex-girlfriend with 116 bank transfers in 12 weeks and branded her a ‘home wrecking s**g’ in a slew of abusive messages after she dumped him has been given a restraining order.

Sacha Cohen-Chowdhury, 39, sent a torrent of unwanted bank transfers ranging from 1p to £25 to Heather Butcher after she ended their relationship due to his jealous behaviour.

In each online transaction Cohen-Chowdhury would leave a message in the reference section for Miss Butcher too see.

Some transactions had references saying ‘Have an awesome week babe’, and ‘Cannot stop crying for you,’ while others read ‘Home wrecking s**g’, and ‘Just accept it, you are a s**g.’

During his campaign, Cohen-Chowdhury also sent flowers to Miss Butcher’s mother and a gift parcel from the luxury café chain ‘Betty’s Tea Room’ to her sister.

Sacha Cohen-Chowdhury, a private tutor has been issued with a restraining order after he sent money to his ex-girlfriend Heather Butcher 116 times in just 12 weeks

In each online transaction Cohen-Chowdhury would leave a message in the reference section for Miss Butcher too see

The former company director from Chester, who currently tutors GCSE students, was reported to police after he emailed Miss Butcher’s employer and smeared her as a ‘fraudster’ claiming she was sleeping with other men.

His actions were said to have left Miss Butcher feeling ‘scared and stressed’.

At Warrington magistrates court, Cohen-Chowdhury was banned from contacting his ex for three years after he admitted harassment between April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. The restraining order forbids him from contacting or approaching Miss Butcher, or her workplace in Yorkshire, by any means, including through social media.

The court heard the couple had been together for seven and a half years but split up in April 2022.

Miss Butcher, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, said in a statement: ‘He became increasingly jealous, accusing me of looking at other people and other people looking at me.

‘Once in Nandos, we had to return to the car, after he accused me of looking at another man and it ended in an argument.

‘Almost every week there was an incident or he would shout at me. He did not stop me doing anything but made me feel bad about engaging with friends and family, accusing me of cheating.

‘A huge issue was me working. He did not think I should be working in any sort of managerial role. Since April 2022, he emailed me repeatedly, 100 times between April 4 and May 25.

‘The emails ranged from him telling me the things he wanted to do sexually, that he loved me and wanted to get back to me, to calling me names.’

Pictured is Sacha Cohen-Chowdhury, who has admitted harassment, arriving at Warrington Magistrates court

Miss Butcher said she went to police about his behaviour and that he was warned not to contact her. However, within the week, he contacted her again from June 1 to August 14.

She said: ‘In August 2022, he called my work phone with a “No caller ID”. He said he found my number on a box of clothing. He visited my address in Wigan to drop items off. Fortunately, I was not there.

‘He also sent 116 bank transfers, ranging from 1p to £25 between August 26 and November 25. Each had a different reference ranging from “Flowers”, “Have an awesome week babe”, and “Cannot stop crying for you”, to “Home wrecking slag”, and “Just accept it, you are a slag”.’

Miss Butcher went on to tell police that Cohen-Chowdhury sent gifts of flowers for her mother and a parcel from ‘Betty’s Tea Room’ for her sister. There was also a letter for her mother in which he blamed Miss Butcher for ruining their relationship.

She said that she had tried to block him from contacting her. However, he continued to use bank transfers as a means of sending messages, and he also contacted her work.

Miss Butcher said: ‘His most recent communication was an email from a “Preventing Fraud” address to my work’s HR department, accusing me of fraud and accusing me of sleeping with other men and looking at other men.

‘He also went into unnecessary detail about our relationship and saying how he felt. I was just recently promoted as well. He is causing a great deal of stress. I do not know what he will do next, I have tried everything I can do to stop him. I am scared of being home alone in case he turns up and I am scared in case he turns up at my work.

‘I have already moved on with my life. I just want to have no contact with him ever again and for him to move on with his life.’

Clare Oliver, prosecuting, said: ‘For the first five years their relationship was normal, but in the most recent two years the defendant’s behaviour changed. Miss Butcher has confirmed that she would request a restraining order.’

In mitigation Cohen-Chowdhury’s solicitor Selina Woodward said: ‘He does suffer from bi-polar but he is fully medicated now. He is making steps to try to get help himself. He does tell me that the relationship with the victim has traumatised him.

‘Since August of last year, he has had other relationships and there have been no issues when they have ended and he has moved on. I am grateful that you are proposing to go down the same route as what the probation service is proposing.

‘He is in receipt of Universal Credit, which tops up his earnings as a tutor. I ask that his mental health and diabetes be taken into account.’

The magistrates sentenced him to a 24-month community order, with requirements that he carries out 50 hours of unpaid work, and attends both the ‘Building Better Relationships’ program and up to 25 days of rehabilitation activity with the probation service. He was further ordered to pay £234 in costs and a victim surcharge.

JP Dr Elaine Hemmings told him: ‘You must attend all the appointments and do all the work the probation service directs you to do. If you do not, you can be brought back to the court and you can be given a more serious sentence.

‘More serious will include custody. If you breach any of the conditions of the restraining order you will be convicted of a criminal offence. The sentence, the punishment, for breaching a restraining order includes custody.’

Source: Read Full Article