Barnsley man addressed letters to dogs after bail order not to contact ex

Shane Murphy, 53, who had a "vast" 266 previous offences on his record, was on prison remand at the time, having denied spending £149 on the appliance. Sheffield Crown Court heard Murphy's 21-year marriage had come to an end in early April 2025 when his ex received notice from her bank about the unauthorised purchase. Prosecutor Mark Thomas said police later found his wife's card on Murphy's person. On April 29 the Penistone man was remanded into custody at HMP Doncaster for that offence along with other matters. It was from there, said Mr Thomas, that Murphy wrote four letters to his wife which were addressed to the "dogs they owned" between May and August 2025. Recorder Ian Mullarkey told Murphy he had not addressed the letter to the dogs so "they could read them" but to "circumvent" restrictions that had been placed on him in respect of contacting his ex. Get the latest updates and deep courtside analysis with our Court newsletter The defendant's wife described "stress and anxiety" as a result of Murphy's behaviour and was in "constant fear" of her husband, said prosecutor Mr Thomas. Murphy, of Park Avenue, Penistone, who had 44 convictions for 266 offences including 72 thefts, admitted fraud and witness intimidation. He was jailed for 24 months and handed a five-year restraining order. Barrister Paige Yellott, said the loss of his relationship had been a "traumatic" event for Murphy as his wife had been his "cornerstone".