A jury has retired in the trial of an Ipswich man who denies stalking his ex-partner. 

The case of Kyle Wiggins is expected to conclude on Wednesday.

Wiggins, 26, and of Clapgate Lane in Ipswich, is accused of having stalked his former partner and the mother of his child from October 31, 2022, to April 8 last year.

The Crown’s case has been that Wiggins became obsessed with his former partner, with whom he had a brief relationship in 2017 which resulted in the birth of a child.

Wiggins was due to give evidence in his defence this week. However, he chose not to appear in the dock on Monday and Tuesday, meaning that the trial has continued in his absence.

However, Judge David Wilson reminded the jury that the defendant is within his right to refuse attendance, and that his absence should not affect their decision making.

Representatives of the prosecution and defence both addressed the jury.

Marti Blair, prosecuting, told the jury that the case centred around Wiggins “become so preoccupied that he had the right to be in a relationship with [the claimant] because she had given birth to his child”.

“Thankfully, we are not living in Victorian times,” she said. “[The woman] did not need the defendant to tell her what she thought or felt, because she could make up her own mind.”

Simon Gladwell, representing Wiggins, reminded the jury that Wiggins’ communication to the woman had all been via text messages to her father.

The woman had received a series of messages from a mobile phone which belonged to the defendant’s late mother, but Wiggins has denied that those messages were sent by him.

Mr Gladwell also reminded the jury that Wiggins holds no previous convictions, and said that he had become fixated on “looking after and having a relationship with his child”.

The jury will now deliberate their verdict.