A domestic abuser from Colchester has become one of the UK’s first to be convicted and jailed under a new law for online safety. Karn Statham, 29, of Colchester had sent several threatening and malicious messages to a woman and intimidated her by attending her address multiple times after being asked to leave her alone.
The threats escalated on February 16 and continued over the weekend with the victim reporting incidents to the police. Officers visited the victim on February 19.
Whilst speaking to the victim Statham, of Barnadiston Road, visited the address again where he was arrested, damaging a police vehicle in the process. He attended Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on February 21 and entered guilty pleas to charges of criminal damage, and sending communication threatening death or serious harm, which is now a crime under the new Online Safety Act as of October 2023.