Calmore man shot at ex-partner with lookalike gun after break-up

Frazer Fontaine narrowly missed his former partner's eye when he attacked her at his home days after he broke up with her.

The woman had been trying to return some of his belongings when she was terrorised by the 30-year-old, the court heard, leaving her in shock.

Fontaine was jailed for 21 months, and given a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim for a decade.

Southampton Crown Court was told how the victim had made remarks in December last year which Fontaine found offensive, leading him to break up with her.

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Fontaine, who has schizophrenia, had stopped taking his medication, the court heard.

On December 18, the victim called her ex-partner as she had found some of his clothes at her house and wanted to return them - but when she called the defendant to arrange this he began to call her names.

Frazer Fontaine (Image: Hampshire Constabulary)

She met him at his house to drop off the clothes and texted him she was outside.

After he told her to come in, Fontaine, of Calmore Drive, Calmore, was found dressed in black with a black bandana covering his face, and holding a black rifle that resembled an AK-47, prosecuting Richard Onslow said.

He then pulled an imitation handgun and held it to her face while his dog stood nearby barking at her.

Fontaine then fired at her face, narrowly missing her.

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In a victim statement read to the court by Mr Onslow, the victim said: "I was in shock and it didn't feel like it was real. I thought I had watched it and it wasn't real."

She said she was off work for five weeks as she struggled to sleep and has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia "due to the extreme stress" of the situation.

Fontaine was arrested a day after the incident and told police the victim "was making false allegations because he dumped her" and that she "wanted to cause trouble because she was resentful", Mr Onslow told the court.

Fontaine pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing an imitation firearm, assault by beating and criminal damage, having changed his plea before a trial was due to begin.

Defending, Andrew Houston said: "[Fontaine] is someone who is remorseful and who has said a number of sensible things to probation. He has bitten the hand which fed him and spat on her face.

"He acknowledges [the victim] doesn't deserve what happened to her."

Since being in remand, Fontaine has acquired a Maths qualification in prison and has carried out work in the prison's workshop which shows he is making the most of the time there, Mr Houston added.

Sentencing him, Judge Christopher Parker KC said the attack "understandably terrified the victim".

He added: "You intended to do that to maximise the fear she had towards you. The effect upon her is evident by the victim impact statement and it shows she was significantly impacted by it."