A MUM harassed by a champion gundog trainer has told how the fame of being presented with an award by the Queen turned him “into a monster”.
Jamie Smith, 48, was hailed as one of the best dog trainers in Britain after winning a Kennel Club competition at the royal Sandringham Estate.
Shortly after he was pictured shaking hands with the Queen following his triumph in January 2018, Smith met Cara Craven on a dating website.
But just months into the relationship, the shooter started going through the mum’s phone and refusing to leave her alone.
He blasted her for cuddling her son on the sofa instead of him – and flew into a jealous rage when she gave a colleague a friendly hug.
In one jealous fit he pulled on the handbrake while driving and let his van veer onto the wrong side of the road to terrify Cara.
He also went through her phone while she was in hospital suffering a miscarriage then grilled her on cheating when she returned home.
‘MONSTER’
Cops were called in and Smith has been slapped with a community order after being convicted of harassment.
Cara, 41, said: “Meeting the Queen was the highlight of his career.
“He was defined by that moment and brought it up in every conversation with people.
“It went to his head and he became obsessed with how he looked on social media. I think meeting the Queen turned him into a monster.”
The mum of Marshaple, Lincs., said: “I met Jamie in June 2018 and it was all absolutely beautiful, he was charming and like my knight in shining armour, my dream man.
“I was thinking I’m going to be with this man for the rest of my life.”
Cara claims Smith once flew into a jealous rage when she gave his work colleague a hug to thank him for fixing her car.
She said: “We had gone to the pub and I stood up and went over and gave his friend a hug and said thank you so much for all the work on my car.
“On the way home I was driving the van that had the dogs in the back and all of a sudden he just changed and said ‘Oh my god you hugged Simon’.
“We were on a country road doing about 60mph and he told me to stop the van. I told him no and he pulled the handbrake.
“The van went across the other side of the road but luckily nothing was going the other way and I managed to control it and bring it to the right side and pull over.”
On another occasion in January 2019, Cara fell pregnant but suffered a miscarriage.
She said: “While I was at the hospital, Jamie was in my room going through my phone and as soon as I was wheeled back he asked me if I was seeing someone else.
“He told me that he had been through my phone and found a video when I was in France of me fooling around with some other people and he didn’t like it. It was completely innocent but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
Despite their volatile relationship, Smith – who runs Claxbywold Gundogs – moved in with Cara and Dexter.
She added: “We had a joint bank account but I had to ask permission before I could spend any money.
“I applied for my own account but when he found out he said I had ruined our relationship and demanded I close it.”
Cara finally left Smith and with the help of hypnotherapist and life coach David Kilmurry, reported him to police.
Smith, of Lincolnshire, admitted harassment and was handed an 18-month community order and told to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work at Lincoln crown court on December 14.
Two charges of assault by beating were allowed to lie on file.
The prosecution offered no evidence to a charge of controlling and coercive behaviour.
Since the case, Cara has joined forces with a charity which helps women who have been harassed and abused by their partners.
