James Finch

James Finch, a 36-year-old from High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Canterbury Crown Court on January 6 for a series of abusive offences including stalking, making threats to kill, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, commonly known as 'revenge porn'.

Over a four-month period, Finch subjected his victim to escalating harassment. He bombarded her with hundreds of unwanted messages and calls, repeatedly threatening to kill her and members of her family. Finch escalated the abuse by uploading multiple intimate photos of the victim to social media without her consent, including setting one as his profile picture to ensure visibility to all his contacts.

Investigators uncovered a series of disturbing videos and voice messages sent to the victim. In one video, Finch threatened to break her jaw and burn plastic onto her skin. In a voice message, he expressed a wish for one of her young relatives to 'die in a car crash'. The victim reported the stalking and harassment to Kent Police on October 29, leading to Finch's arrest and remand in custody that same day.

Finch pleaded guilty at court to the charges of stalking, making threats to kill, and intentionally sharing an intimate image without consent. Upon his release, he will be subject to a five-year restraining order to protect the victim. A Kent Police representative commented, 'This case demonstrates the devastating impact of coercive and controlling behaviour, and we commend the victim's bravery in reporting it, which has resulted in Finch being brought to justice.' The sentencing reflects the courts' zero-tolerance approach to such forms of digital and personal abuse.