A vile domestic abuser who treated his partner like ‘property’ boasted that his court sentence would be ‘light work’ before he was sentenced to 31 months in prison.
James Rogers subjected his girlfriend to a horrific campaign of abuse and harassment, the Liverpool Echo reports. He threatened to share intimate photos of her online, told her he would smear her father’s hearse with mud during her funeral, bombarded her with up to 100 phone calls a day and branded her a “dirty, filthy bitch”, the court heard.
The 24-year-old boasted that he would only receive probation for his shameful actions, describing the sentence as “light duty.” But instead he was jailed by a judge who called him ‘extremely abusive’.
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Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday (April 11) how Rogers, also known as James Heckingbottom, had been with his victim since 2020. He described their relationship as ‘violent and abusive’. with his ‘extremely jealous, paranoid and controlling behavior’, ultimately leaving her ‘in fear for her life’.
Prosecutor Christopher Taylor detailed how Rogers made threats to his family on Instagram, saying he would burn down his mother’s house and falsely reporting him to the RSPCA for ‘abusing’ his dog. The defendant called her names such as ‘slug, slut, dog and dirty little mouse’, demanded that she change her clothes to his liking, told her not to shave her legs and sent her a message on Facebook informing her that he would make the post. sexual images of her on the internet.
Rogers was also said to have “asked her why she was following other men on social media” and “demanded they meet so he could fight with her.” An incident of violence occurred on May 12 after the couple drank at home.
He left the address shortly before 11pm and went to a nearby store before visiting a friend’s house. He did not return until around 4am, after which an argument broke out and Rogers ‘got in his face’.
He retaliated by hitting her left ear, then grabbed her hair and grabbed her hair himself. The pair spent the next five minutes struggling in the living room, leaving scratch marks on his face and a black eye from where he elbowed her in the face.
Rogers was granted a domestic violence protection order in May 2023, preventing him from contacting the complainant for a month. He was banned from seeing her further under bail conditions imposed on August 23.
But three days later, during an argument on Seel Street in Liverpool city centre, he began shouting at her as she ‘turned red in the face’; He fled to the Ropewalks Hotel after his girlfriend told him, “Dude, you better wait. It’s me.” I’ll break your jaw.”
Rogers then began bombarding her with calls and messages, in which he said: “I’m going to kill you, you dirty, dirty bitch. You stupid bitch.”
“I’ll punch you. I’ll break your neck
“Listen, I’m going to slap you. Now I’m going to slap you on the jaw.”
His tirade only ended when he was arrested. Then, following his father’s death the following month, Rogers threatened him that he would ‘come on his bike and disrupt his funeral’.
On September 30, he appeared outside her flat on Stanley Street in the city center and began calling her “constantly” from a hidden number “about every 10 minutes” from the early hours of the morning; He called her more than 100 times throughout the day. When he answered he ‘wanted to see her’.
Rogers even continued to dam when police officers arrived on the scene. He was later arrested at the Premier Inn Liverpool North in Bootle.
However, he continued his contact after being detained in Altcourse prison on 5 October. During the first meeting, Rogers began by being ‘extremely polite’ and told her he ‘missed’ her when ‘she called from one of the teenagers’ phone’.
But after calling him again, he claimed he would only get ’12 months probation’ and described it as ‘light duty’. The prisoner added that he was ‘at home with his brother and some children from Kirkby’.
In a statement read to the court on her behalf, her ex described how she was ‘unable to properly grieve for her father’ as a result of his actions. He added: “I no longer have self-respect and confidence, I don’t trust anyone and I believe everyone wants to harm me.
“I know this is all because of Jay. My mind isn’t working properly anymore.”
Rogers was also sentenced for an incident in which he was seen riding a dirt bike in St Helens at around 5.15pm on September 25. Police patrols followed as the vehicle was driven at high speed towards Ashcroft Street.
The unlicensed and uninsured driver then crashed into a van on Parr Stocks Road after appearing to ‘flee’ police officers. Rogers was dripping blood from his left hand after the collision and complained of pain in his finger and shoulder.
Emily Land, defending, told the court: “The defendant’s immature and naive behavior and flawed thinking mean that he does not truly understand the final impact his appalling behavior will have on this young woman, most likely for the rest of her life.” This is a young defendant, he just turned 24 this week.
“He spent his birthday in prison. He doesn’t want to spend any more time there.
“He does not want to spend another birthday in prison. This is his first time in custody.
“He realizes he has abandonment and attachment issues, which led him to lash out at her.
“He is heartbroken that this is the result of his first serious relationship. “He accepts his behavior was unacceptable and wrong.
“He needs help to manage his emotions. He is the one who needs to make this change and he is taking these steps slowly.
“Everything came out on top of him. He was struggling financially and he took it out on her, which is completely unacceptable.
“He wants to find a job. He wants to start his own family.
“He realizes this is punishment for behavior that is completely out of character. He does not want to subject anyone else to this behavior again.”
Rogers, formerly of Hurst Park Drive, Huyton, admitted threatening to disclose private sexual images, controlling or coercive behaviour, stalking, assaults causing actual bodily harm, dangerous driving, driving without a license and driving without insurance. did. He was sentenced to 31 months in prison after appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse wearing a black Nike zip-up top.
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: “These offenses reflect an extremely abusive relationship in which you manipulated and abused your ex-partner in many different ways. You did this consistently and repeatedly, when she wanted nothing to do with you, using your phone – alone In one day, you tried to talk to him in 100 different situations.
“You were extremely abusive towards him, called him ugly and abusive names. You used violence against him.
“I saw him in court; he was small and slightly built. Although he was brave enough to fight back, he was no match for you in reality.
“Using social media, you threatened to make her intimate photos widely public. You even threatened to prevent her father’s funeral by spraying mud on the hearse using your motorcycle.
“During the time you spent together, with your arrogant mentality, you treated him not as a human being, but as property. He was subjected to violence and humiliation.
“I would like to point out that you have shown that you have had some mental health issues in the past. This is the first offense for which you were sentenced to prison and your last offense was a long time ago when you were given a very severe sentence when you were younger.”
Rogers was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for 10 years. He was disqualified from driving for two years and 11 months and must undergo an extended retest before being allowed back on the roads.
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