Coventry man jailed for 10 years for "violent campaign" against ex-partner
Taylor Doherty was sentenced for possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, robbery, criminal damage and breach of a non-molestation order.
Last updated 12th Feb 2021
A man has been jailed for 10 years and six months with a three-year and six-month extended licence after carrying out a violent campaign over four days.
On September 21 2020, 21 year old Taylor Doherty embarked on a spree of offending after becoming enraged that his ex-partner may have met someone new. He armed himself with an imitation firearm as he searched for his ex-partner, and phoned her to threaten her.
When his attempts to find her proved unsuccessful, he turned his attention to the person he assumed to be her new partner. Later on September 21, he attended the home address of innocent students where he pointed a weapon at the head of a student, threatening to shoot him if he did not provide the whereabouts of the male he believed lived there. A young woman at the scene was also left visibly shaken and in fear for her life when he fired a shot into the window, causing it to shatter.
On October 1, Doherty went on to use the weapon to steal a vehicle in broad daylight. He then damaged other property while running from police. When he was arrested, he was found to have a Stanley knife.
Kate Seal of the CPS said: “The spree of offending over a four-day period must have been a terrifying ordeal for each victim. I cannot begin to imagine how they must have felt or how they may continue to feel the after-effects of Taylor Doherty’s actions. No one should be threatened with a gun in their own home, let alone in circumstances where the offender has targeted the wrong property or steals a vehicle because he uses the threat of an imitation firearm.
“The CPS presented a strong case to show Doherty to be the person responsible for these offences. Therefore, Doherty had no real option but to plead guilty at an early stage, which prevented the victims from having to relive their terrifying ordeals in court.
“I hope the sentence imposed by the court brings some comfort to the victims in this case and serves as a deterrent to anyone carrying a weapon to inflict violence on others or to assist them in committing other crimes.”