Sheffield Crown Court: 'Terrifying' thug breached restraining order and threatened ex-wife with screwdriver

Defendant, Milan Chromy, breached a restraining order and domestic violence protection order to attend at the Rotherham home of his ex-wife on July 30, 2022, Sheffield Crown Court was told during.

Summarising Chromy’s criminal conduct, Judge Kirstie Watson told him: “Having seen you arrive, she [Chromy’s ex-wife] tried to prevent you from entering her property. You picked up items and threw them at the window.

“And then you forced your way into the property, as she tried to push you out of the door. You took a screwdriver out of your pocket and threatened your ex-wife...you set about smashing items of property, causing her to eventually flee the property and take refuge in her car. She called your granddaughter and asked her to call the police, and upon hearing that she would call the police you said you would kill her and ran away.”

Prosecuting barrister, Zaiban Alam, said Chromy’s ex-wife, the complainant, described Chromy as being ‘intoxicated during the incident’.

Ms Alam added that while the complainant has chosen not to provide a victim personal statement to the court, another statement to the police has revealed that she was ‘terrified’ of Chromy, of no fixed abode.

The complainant also went on to say she was afraid to leave the house or go to her ‘own cellar’ out of ‘fear’ of what Chromy ‘will do’.

The court heard how Chromy was made the subject of the domestic violence order in June 2020, and was the complainant was subsequently granted an indefinite restraining order against Chromy which he breached in September 2021 and on two additional occasions.

Chromy has also previously been convicted of common assault, criminal damage and possession of a pointed article, said Ms Alam, adding that Chromy had previously been dealt with through community orders and rehabilitation activity requirements related to his consumption of alcohol.

Chromy pleaded guilty to offences of breach of a restraining order, criminal damage and threatening another with a bladed article at an earlier hearing.

Defence barrister, Emma Coverley, said that following Chromy’s offending, the children he shares with his ex-wife have indicated that they wish to have ‘no further contact’ with him, and they have maintained this decision during the time he has spent in prison on remand.

Ms Coverley told Judge Watson that the immediate prison sentence she was likely to impose upon Chromy will be his ‘first experience of a custodial setting,’ something she suggested would be ‘more difficult’ for him due to the fact he does not speak English and will be ‘unable to communicate’.

"Mr Chromy’s instructions are that alcohol is not an influencer or an issue,” Ms Coverley said.

Judge Watson jailed Chromy for 30 months and told him that in her view his conduct towards his ex-wife amounted to ‘persistent’ breaches of the restraining order she had been granted, and had caused her ‘serious harm and distress’.

She said the restraining order against Chromy, which had previously been granted until a further court order is made, should remain in place.