AN ex-boyfriend who knocked his former partner's dad out, dragged her to the floor by her hair and told her bosses about her sex life has had his appeal against a stalking conviction rejected.

David Jones of Stotfield Avenue, Warndon Villages, Worcester punched his ex's father twice, possibly three times, in her home rendering him unconscious, as previously reported in the Worcester News.

The 41-year-old had been convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating following the attacks on July 16, 2020 but last week launched an appeal against other offences he had been convicted of in relation to the same victim, seeking to overturn the court's decision.

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Jones was convicted of controlling and coercive behaviour between March 1 and July 16, 2020 and stalking between August 1 and October 20, 2020 following a trial held at Hereford Magistrates Court on June 24 last year. However, he appealed against his convictions for controlling and coercive behaviour and stalking at an all-day hearing at Worcester Crown Court on Friday.

His appeal against the conviction for controlling and coercive behaviour was upheld. Judge Nicolas Cole, sitting with two magistrates, said they could not be satisfied so that they were sure that the elements of the charge were established and therefore allowed the appeal.

However, his appeal against a conviction for stalking was rejected. This involved him sending an email about her sex life to his former partner's work colleagues - 14 recipients in total.

Judge Cole said that email was 'undoubtedly one intended to cause serious alarm or distress' and made reference to a sexual relationship at her work.

"It's an entirely private matter and nothing to do with her professional life at work and the ability to do the job" the judge said.

He said they were satisfied the email had caused 'significant alarm or distress' to the victim.

"He accepts now it was wrong to have done so. The phrase he used was 'a vile and disgusting thing to do' and we agree with that assessment" the judge said.

Judge Cole said they were satisfied that his actions in sending the email were 'premeditated', that it would have involved some research into the company she worked for and formed part of a course of conduct. The matter was therefore proven.

Judge Cole said they were 'satisfied the appellant or ought to have known this would cause her fear'.

We have previously reported how there was a 'summit meeting' at the complainant's home which her father attended.

Mark Hemming, who prosecuted the case last year, said: "The defendant was refusing to leave her home on the basis he had nowhere else to go and said he would require something like six months in order to find himself somewhere to go."

The woman's father asked him to leave and told him if he did not go he would call the police.

Jones then punched him twice (the probation report indicated three times), rendering him unconscious and leaving him with a cut to his head and bruising.

While Jones's former partner was trying to part the two men he 'grabbed hold of her by the hair and pulled her to the ground'.

Three months after the assaults, when the relationship was already over, she took steps to return to the company where she had been employed before.

Jones discovered this and sent an email to her employers, including to a company director, about the relationship she had had with colleagues, questioning why they would want to employ her.

Last year Judge James Burbidge QC made a restraining order for five years which prevents Jones having any contact, directly or indirectly, with his ex or her father, from going to her place of work in Ledbury or from entering Stoke Lacy.

The sentence hearing was adjourned until March 9. Bail was granted on condition he has no contact with the complainant.