A MAN from Rhyl who assaulted and harassed his former wife of 24 years has been spared jail.

Paul Smith, 47, was handed a suspended sentence, restraining order, and rehabilitation activity at Mold Crown Court today (February 13).

Prosecuting, Richard Edwards told the court that Smith had assaulted Lisa Morgan, his ex-wife, in November 2021, before harassing her for more than two months after their relationship ended in late December 2021.

The couple had met when she was 18, married two years later, had four children, and ran a deliveries and home clearances business together.

Their relationship came to an end after Smith became worried that she had been seeing another man.

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On December 29, 2021, Morgan contacted police for fear that he “might harm himself because of his abuse and aggression demonstrated that day” in front of her and their children.

Smith was arrested during the early hours of the following day, before Morgan contacted police on six further occasions within the next three weeks due to “unwanted contact” from Smith.

The assault had involved Smith losing his temper about a WhatsApp message Morgan received from her son’s football team group chat.

He screamed at her in their van in a “complete rage”, before pouring the contents of an Oasis drink bottle over her head as she drove, and throwing a bottle of hand sanitiser at her, striking her temple.

After the relationship ended, Smith then continuously contacted Morgan with messages such as “the house is on fire”, “make sure your c**p isn’t in the van”, and “I don’t want to live”.

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Morgan said their relationship was “difficult”, and that due to Smith’s “Jekyll and Hyde personality” she would have to “walk on eggshells”.

When arrested, Smith said he had been “left with nothing” after their marriage ended, and called himself a “big-mouthed idiot”.

Morgan had taken out a non-molestation order in a bid to protect her and her children, which prohibited Smith from approaching her and going within 50 metres of her home.

Smith, who had no previous convictions or cautions, breached this order when he parked outside her house.

Defending, Ryan Rothwell encouraged the court to issue a suspended sentence, due to Smith being “at low likelihood of re-offending”.

Since his marriage ended and he lost his business, Smith was said to be unemployed, living in his friend’s outhouse, and in receipt of Universal Credit.

Rothwell accepted that Smith had endured “quite the fall from grace”, and that his behaviour was that of a man who “simply couldn’t accept his 24-year marriage had broken down in the way it had”.

He said: “In his own words, he ‘lost it’. If he were to go to prison, it would hit him particularly hard.”

Smith was said to be taking antidepressants for his mental health issues, and is on a housing waiting list.

Judge Rhys Rowlands sentenced Smith to 48 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

He ordered Smith to complete a programme of up to 35 sessions, and 20 days’ rehabilitation activity.

A five-year restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting or approaching Morgan, or entering within 100 metres of her home, was issued.

Smith is to pay a statutory surcharge of £156 within the next three months.

Judge Rowlands labelled Smith’s behaviour as “pathetic”, which was “borne out of, seemingly, your irrational belief that she was seeing another”.

He added: “Ultimately, I’m afraid you just feel sorry for yourself, and wrongly so.”

Though he accepted Smith had been a “hard worker” and of “previous good character”, he warned him that, should he breach his order, “you’ll find a fairly unsympathetic individual sitting here”.