Robert Larvin: Boyfriend convicted for controlling ex’s access to hamster

A possessive boyfriend who limited his former girlfriend’s access to their pet hamster has been convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour.

Robert Larvin, 32, refused to let Jessica Turner keep the pet at her property after they split up and told her she could only visit the animal when he was present.

During their two-year relationship, he also dictated what clothes and makeup she could wear and forced her to turn on her phone’s location tracker so he could keep track of her when they were apart.

After they split up, Larvin stalked Ms Turner, who is pregnant with his child, turning up at her work at a food service company, following her around town and hiding outside her home.

Larvin, of Sandbach, Cheshire, also assaulted her on two occasions, including in a Wetherspoons pub when he grabbed her head and slammed it into a door handle.

Last week, the warehouse worker narrowly avoided jail after pleading guilty to stalking, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour and two offences of assault.

Magistrates in Warrington sentenced him to 28 weeks in jail, suspended for two years, and banned him from contacting Ms Turner.

Craig Welsby, prosecuting, said: ‘If the complainant went against him, he started to argue with her, belittled her and put her down.

‘The defendant also controlled the pet hamster. He refused to return the pet and stated that if the complainant wanted to see it she could have supervised visits where the defendant needed to be present.’ Mr Welsby said Larvin had access to Miss Turner’s bank account and would buy goods for himself and spend money on computer games without her permission.

The lawyer said the stalking took place over five months, between April and August. ‘The defendant would turn up at her home address at all times of day and night,’ Mr Welsby added. ‘He was seen hiding behind a car and throwing stones at a window to get her attention. He would send her messages telling her what she was wearing, saying he could see her. He was hiding outside of her address. She was petrified to leave the house.’

Larvin, who has previous convictions for stalking and interfering with a witness, recognised ‘the harm he has caused’, his lawyer Alex Dunn said.