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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Will he take me to court?

39 replies

missturnbullx · 23/06/2021 17:10

Hi all,

So I'm a single mum to my two and a half year old daughter. Her father and me split at 24 weeks pregnant and he made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the baby. Anyway not long after she was born he started emailing me asking to see her. I ignored his contact for months, until I decided to give him a chance to be a part of our daughters life and for us to remain friendly. He lives two hours away from me and my daughter. There were a few occasions where he didn't turn up but other than that everything was going fine until He wanted to get back together and I said no absolutely not. I then started getting verbal abuse called a slag, shit mum etc.

Anyway, He had, at this point, 2 children to 2 other women he didn't see (I found this out during my pregnancy). I have since spoken to them and they told me he is physically absuive. He has a criminal record and used to lose his temper with his children. He was never physical towards me however he was emotionally abusive and he has a temper. That is evident. He fights in local pubs and clubs etc. So based on this information and based on him becoming aggressive towards me I decided to cut contact for good for my daughters sake. He's a big drinker and lives at home with his mum. Since I turned him down and decided to cut contact based on how aggressive he was getting with me and the information from his exes, he then got another girl pregnant. He is 37 she is 19. I feel for this girl a lot. However, he also does not see that child either for the reasons that 'he doesn't want to' but I feel it's more she probably doesn't want him to... he even has in his Facebook bio 3 of his children's names saying he can't wait to see them again one day. It's so cringe worthy. This other new child since my daughter he has said 'he doesn't care about' and says he only has 3 children. He's basically doing to her what he did to me when I was pregnant and it probably won't be long before he's harassing her to see that child and she's been abused for her choice.

So all in all he has four kids to four women. None of those children does he see. He took the second child's mother to court a few years back and was granted access at a support centre. He attended for two visits and stopped turning up. He hasn't seen the child since. He said that it wasn't his fault and it was the centres fault and plays victim to the fact he doesn't see that child...

I didn't know the majority of this when I met him otherwise I'd have stayed well clear, of course but nope I was blinded by what he wanted me to see and with me living 2 hours away I didn't know his history.

I since have a mortgage, I have changed jobs and have a stable job at a reputable company. I am only part time however but I am able to provide a stable home. He has not seen our daughter in over a year and I have not spoken to him since Christmas. Since then I have been getting the odd abusive email.

But recently he's been emailing me as he is blocked on all socials threatening to take me to court for access. A part of me thinks he is saying this to spark a reaction and to cause anxiety and fear. He also wants me to respond and I think he thinks that saying that will scare me into a response and singing to his tune. His ex girlfriend told me when he took her to court it wasn't about their child, it was about control and I feel he is doing the same again to me. I cannot see how he thinks court is a good idea for the sake of our daughter. He surely must know based on his history he doesn't have a leg to stand on? He doesn't even know our daughter. He saw her on a couple of occasions. He is a stranger. I just cannot see him being a father when he's had so many chances to be a good one.

He doesn't even know where I live. I mean what would the process even be? What would happen? He works but doesn't pay tax and claims benefits. I don't claim child maintenance from him. He isn't on the birth certificate. He mentioned getting a DNA test and said I'd admitted he is the child's father on a text... but I've never denied he is so I don't know what that is supposed to mean?!

I'm so confused. I can't see him parting with money as he needs it to pay his ridiculous car finance and his alcohol habits.

Has anybody got any experience with this?

I know 100% I am doing the right thing by not allowing him to see our daughter based on what I've been told, what I know from my own experience and even since me and my daughter he's done the same but to another girl. He really isn't a stable human. He can't even look after himself never mind a child.

I hope this makes sense I'm in a bit of a state writing this. I just can't see him taking me to court.

The last message he sent to me was asking me to go and hang myself and to leave our daughter in my will to him and that I'm a selfish shitty mother denying our daughter the opportunity to bond with a good dad. Apparently.

OP posts:
iloverock · 23/06/2021 19:58

I wouldn't block his emails. I'd just put them into a special folder marked dickhead and ignore them. But if he does issue court proceedings then you will have evidence of his abuse.
He will have to go to mediation. It's really easy to trace someone and if he makes an application to court without an address the court will track you down via DWP alto the court won't release your address to him.

missturnbullx · 23/06/2021 20:02

@iloverock Dickhead 😂
Thank you this is helpful. If he does issue court proceedings will he have to pay for this mediation even if he is claiming to be on benefits? I'm not sure if he's stopped claiming but the job he has isn't with a contract so I assume he's still making out he doesn't work. He's doing work for a friend and nothing goes through the books. Because if he had to find his own mediation and DNA tests and court, I know full wel he wouldn't Persue it.

OP posts:
LoopTheLoops · 23/06/2021 20:13

Well he hardly sounds like the type to hang around does he? so if he does take you to court he won’t stick to contact just like with the other child.

Don’t feel pressured by people to contact the other mums if you don’t want to, I also found out my ex had a child with someone else when I was pregnant with our child (didn’t think to tell me before apparently 😑) we are not together now and I’ve never contacted her and she’s never contacted me. Up to the kids when they are old enough to contact each other if they want to have a relationship.

Clusterfckintolerant · 23/06/2021 20:18

Get legal advice.
Please try not to let his control behaviour get to you and do not respond to his provocation, no matter what.
Hopefully he will lose interest and redirect his attention elsewhere.

The Ex that moved to Australia had the right idea.

Georgeatemyhat · 23/06/2021 20:25

Ignore, auto forward his emails to a folder so you have an evidence trail if needed in future, then keep on with your life as you have been doing.

Personally I wouldn't want to get in touch with the other women, or give away my location in your position, if he's abusive you don't know how they will react if he presses them for information and you don't need that in your life. I imagine it could make things complicated. Your daughter can decide once she's older if she wants to know her half siblings or not.

missturnbullx · 23/06/2021 20:26

@LoopTheLoops I know. I just think if he was serious he would have fought for his other two kids, before getting me pregnant etc. And when I was actually pregnant surely that was the chance for him to put his wrongs right somehow? He just doesn't learn. I really believe if he goes down the court route it would be for spite and to be nasty. He wouldn't be able to handle being a father it requires effort. He's a selfish person who can't even pour his own breakfast cereal... yep, his mum does that for him.

I'm reluctant to get legal advice as I am hoping it's just a threat to spark a reaction. I remember he once called me a slag and I messaged him back and he said 'see I knew calling you a slag would get you to message me back'. I didn't actually message him back because he called me a slag... this was also a very long time ago. So I know very well that he says and does things to get his own way.

One of his exes, he smashed her car up, but instead of doing it himself, he got his brother to do it and never got caught. He admitted it to me verbally - as if he was making a threat about what he is capable of and his ex unfortunately never got the justice for her car being smashed up.

Also, before I moved house, he made out he had drove to my house to come and see our daughter and to 'bring me flowers' which I wouldn't have wanted in the slightest, but he apparently couldn't remember which house it was so he drove off again. So all in all he'd spent four hours driving, apparently...

He was messaging me saying I'm on my
Way to yours etc etc and I was ignoring the messages. I still to this day don't believe he ever drove to my area and was just trying to get a reaction from me that day by scaring me in to replying. And believe me I actually was scared. I'm so glad I've moved house.

OP posts:
missturnbullx · 23/06/2021 20:35

@Georgeatemyhat I already discussed with 2 of the 3 women what we were going to do and we all decided we wouldn't ever keep the fact they have half siblings from them but we all agreed we don't want the contact with the other children. The other 2 are now married and have had other children since and have a family etc. We all agreed to get on with our own lives but would never be opposed if the kids decided, when old enough, they want a relationship. I mean we all actually now live miles apart, 2 hours away and another in Australia.

One of his exes messaged me a couple of months back and I ignored her message. It sounds rude, I know but I just didn't see the point in starting a bitching conversation for no reason when I spend my days forgetting he exists. We've spoken many of times but the conversation has always started because one of us has had some abuse or contact from him or had some relevant information to tell the other. That's why I was wondering if maybe I should speak to them to see if they're getting the same kind of messages again or not.

Like I say, the 19 year old girl he's since had a child with, I haven't spoken to her. I'm not sure if the others have or haven't. No idea at all. But I wouldn't want to message her in case he's manipulating her and it makes the situation ten times worse. He once actually accused me of speaking to her and sent me an email giving me abuse for messaging her. But I genuinely hadn't. I think again he was just chancing it by saying it, hoping I'd get defensive and react and reply to him.

OP posts:
Speakuptomakeyourselfheard · 23/06/2021 21:05

I think in your shoes I would just ask the other women if it's OK to keep in touch by email if you need to, so that you know how to contact them should you need to provide any evidence of his previous behaviour.

Other than that, I wouldn't read or respond to any communication from him. Could you change your phone number/email so that he doesn't know how to reach you at all?

Theunamedcat · 23/06/2021 21:29

Set up an email account for the other mothers so you all have a point of contact to keep in touch my thinking is what if something medical crops up with an elder child that might have repercussions on the younger

19lottie82 · 23/06/2021 21:34

He’s not on the birth certificate so his chances are slim to none. Block him and ignore him.

iloverock · 24/06/2021 07:21

He won't have to pay for mediation if he can prove he's on benefits.
He wouldn't pay for DNA testing either if it went to court. But he's got so many hurdles to get through before contact I wouldn't worry too much.

missturnbullx · 24/06/2021 07:50

@iloverock I just don't know what he thinks he will achieve? He's not the sort of person to spend four hours a day driving to be a 'dad'. Plus my daughter is in nursery 3 days a week and for another 3 days of the week she's at classes - ballet, music and dance etc so would all this end up stopping if he got contact? I've raised my daughter, given her a home, made a life for her. It seems unfair he could just swoop in and change our routine. I'm really upset.

OP posts:
buzzandwoodyallday · 24/06/2021 08:42

Men wouldn't be able to behave like this if women didn't keep allowing it. 4 children with 4 different women..... and the bloke is an abusive, controlling prick. What is wrong with people? I feel sorry for the children.

AngelDelightUk · 24/06/2021 09:35

I think you need to go down the legal route, I know you don’t want to, even if it’s just one of those 20 minutes free advice ones. It will set your mind at rest.

I’d also be inclined to be in touch with all the others, it will be easier for you all to have each other’s backs. Especially if it does get nasty

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