[News] Man barred from entire county for being a menace to his exes

Truro Crown Court has barred a man identified Obol Derick Otim from entering Cornwall, a county in South West England.

The judgement was given in a lawsuit filed by one of his ex-girlfriend who he threatened to stab. It was learnt that the 30-year-old man subjected the lady and another of his lovers to horrific abuse and threats to kill them.

During one of his tirades, one of his victims managed to call the other complainant who overheard Otim saying ‘I will f**king stab you with a f**king knife. I will break your head’.

She recorded the calls and contacted police before he called her saying he would ‘slap her’ and that he wasn’t scared of the police. He reportedly continued his rampage, walking to the knife drawer which made his victim think she was going to die.

Ruling on the case after Otim admitted multiple counts, the Judge, Anna Richardson, noted that the argument with the first victim escalated as she held his baby. Richardson also disclosed that both victims were petrified and genuinely in fear as a result of Otim being so out-of-control.

She went on to state that although Otim had been in trouble before, he’d only ever received a fine so no work has been undertaken to address his behaviour.

He was also given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years and given a five-year restraining order banning him from going to Cornwall or contacting his victims.

Here’s the victim’s impact statement in full;

‘When Derick did what he did, it confirmed everything I didn’t want to accept. Everything that I had known to be true and seen many times but never truly wanted to accept. When I answer the phone call that night it changed my life. I heard a terrified controlled and manipulated woman, that woman was once me. I felt sheer terror that all of the violence I had been a victim of over the years of my relationship with Derick had been filled with those same screams and pleas for help.

‘I felt fear at a level I had never felt, but this time not just for myself or for my children but for another woman and her child. Derick has never taken responsibility for his actions or his children, of which there are five. That is five girls that will grow up to become women. Hopefully strong and powerful women. That also will stand up and say no without question when there is injustice. Not just five more females that are statistics in Derick’s life.

‘I have had death threats from Derick over the years, but over the following 24 hours the way Derick harassed and described what and how he would do these things made me feel like my life was genuinely at risk, and not just mine but also that of my children. Who have also witnessed derricks volatile and abusive behaviour, not just inside

my home. But even in public or at family events.

‘When a person believes they are never at fault, or are above any law or consequence it makes for a dangerous person. Derick has spent less than six months in prison. Is this enough time for the trauma caused to myself and the multiple other woman to heal? NO.

‘But in the last few months of my life since Derick has been gone, I have slept soundly. Laughed and started to enjoy my life again, I have even fallen in love. My children no longer dread the constant phone calls and manipulation and obsession Derick has weighed me down with over the last five years.

‘I have felt comfortable to go to my local shop, knowing he won’t be there. Driving around knowing I won’t see his car, the dreaded flash of white Mercedes into the car parking bay, knowing that I should be on my best behaviour so not to trigger anything. Worried that if I don’t agree and go along with Derick version of events then my daughter may miss out on the promised activity arranged.

‘That has not been a stress of mine and it’s been utterly delightful. Although somewhat sad to think how I lived for so many years. My children are growing up and I wish them to be able to move around the area they live without fear of bumping into Derick.

‘Standing here, speaking my truth wasn’t mandatory. I wasn’t told to do it, or made to. But I needed this, I needed to heal. I needed to stand here and say I see you Derick, for exactly who you are. I see your pattern and formula for abuse and control. But I also see myself, stronger, happier and grateful for only one thing from you and that is my beautiful daughter. You spent three month in prison, but that will not even have been a taste of what life was like with you.

‘I called the police and gave them the evidence needed to protect woman like myself and all the other woman that you could harm and damage. I leave this court today knowing my conscience is clear and I have done the right thing. I hope one day you will be able to do the same.’