Jailed: York man who repeatedly attacked and abused his partners

A York man who has ‘a problem with women’ has started a 20 month prison sentence.

Harry William Elmer Foster likes to ‘dominate and degrade’ his partners, York Crown Court heard, as the serial abuser was in the dock for breaking yet another court order designed to protect his former partners from him.

The 23-year-old, who lives on Cayley Close in Rawcliffe, was jailed for 18 weeks on New Year’s Day after he threatened to kill his latest girlfriend. He was handed a restraining order forbidding him from contacting her.

But by February, Elmer Foster was released on licence and had rekindled his relationship. Prosecutor Victoria Hajba-Ward told the court that in May, his girlfriend phoned a domestic abuse counsellor, who heard Elmer Foster shouting at her in the background.

He was jailed again for breaking the restraining order and for beating her. The court heard that the couple would get into physical fights and his girlfriend’s legs were left covered in bruises.

During Elmer Foster’s second 2021 sentence behind bars, the court heard that his girlfriend contacted him, using a fake email address, and told him she loved him. Judge Sean Morris said that people in love, ‘make all sorts of excuses for their partners, thinking they will change’ and that the woman cannot be criticised that much.

Elmer Foster was released from prison on 9 June. Although the restraining order was still in place, he messaged his former partner, and on 16 June, she was at Vodka Revolution bar in York with a friend when Elmer Foster turned up.

When the two women left for the train station he refused to leave them alone, shouting insults at his former partner about her appearance and threatening to ‘smash her face’.

On 21 June, his birthday, she walked out of the pub they were in. Elmer Foster followed her and slapped her around the face, causing her to fall to the ground.

‘Glass his face’

By 24 June, after seeing a photo of his ex-girlfriend in Nandos with a male friend, Elmer Foster messaged her: “I’m coming. I’m going to stick a glass in his face.”

Elmer Foster then sent his ex-girlfriend a photo of himself outside Nandos, so she knew he was serious. Further messages included, ’you will never be with anyone else. If you’re ever with someone, I’ll break their legs’.

The court heard that Elmer Foster had had problems staying away from previous partners. In 2017, he was handed a non molestation order after harassing a different former girlfriend.

But he ignored the order and continued to contact her. He was sentenced to four months in prison and a further 18 months for a separate incident in York- where he attacked a man so severely, his victim suffered a brain injury.

In 2020, Elmer Foster was back in court after he posted a sexual photo of another ex- girlfriend, after she had refused to see him. He failed to turn up in court on the day of sentencing and was later handed a ten-month prison term after pleading guilty to revenge porn.

He was released in August 2020 and began this latest relationship, just days later.

‘Made life hell’

His latest victim told the court that Elmer Foster had made her life hell. He insulted her appearance until she felt like “the ugliest girl in the world. Now I can’t look in the mirror without wanting to cry”.

His ex-girlfriend said she spent hundreds of pounds on clothes and whatever he wanted, but that it was never enough. She even left her job when he ordered her to. She believes he gets more controlling every time he is released from prison and that she doesn’t think he will ever stop bothering her – until she is dead.

Elmer Foster pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order between 9 and 24 June. His solicitor Neal Kutte said since being imprisoned, his client had lost his job at a fencing company.

Elmer Foster insisted the relationship is now over and that he doesn’t want any further contact with his ex girlfriend. He lived with his dad who, although didn’t condone his behaviour, wanted his son to return to live with him on his next release from prison.

Judge Sean Morris told the serial harasser: “Lightning may strike twice, but you struck three times. You regard females as your own personal property to do with as you like, to dominate and to degrade. It shows in you a great character flaw.”

As Elmer Foster was led away to start his fourth prison sentence for his crimes against women – and his third sentence for crimes against his latest girlfriend – the judge told him: “If you come before me again, for an offence against this woman, or any woman, I will pass the longest sentence I can.”