CHAUFFEUR'S CURFEW RELAXED TO ALLOW YORK RACE JOBS DESPITE ABUSE
A chauffeur who harassed his prison officer ex has been allowed to alter his curfew to take on driving work.Carl Eaton bombarded his victim with unwanted phone calls and texts for a year and threatened to send her bosses a photo of her using drugs.
He admitted harassment and witness intimidation and was handed a 12 week curfew as part of his punishment.
The 51-year-old asked a district judge to relax his curfew this Friday to allow him to take customers to and from York Races.
He explained: “I'm a chauffeur driver and, because it's York Races, there's potential for new customers.” “Some of them live in Stalybridge and I need enough time to pick them up because it's Friday tea time.” “I have to drop some people off in Halifax and, so I don't lose customers, that's why I want the extension so I'm able to get them home after the event.” Last month Kirklees Magistrates' Court heard how 'pathetic' Eaton's relentless communications with his ex stressed her out so much that she suffered a panic attack at work.
He was unable to let the “love of his life” go after they broke up following a two year relationship.
Eaton, of Chiltern Avenue in Oakes , begged her to give him another chance then persisted in contacting her despite being warned about his behaviour by police.
He ordered his ex to drop the charges against him and sent her a Facebook message accusing her of acting inappropriately by taking drugs and threatening to tell her bosses.
Magistrates were told that Eaton's behaviour left the victim on the verge of a breakdown and living in fear.
He was sentenced to a community order with the electronically monitored curfew and made subject to an indefinite restraining order.
Deputy District Judge Michael Hopkinson agreed to vary his curfew so that it starts at 9.30pm instead of 7pm on Friday night only to accommodate his work.
He told Eaton: "You've taken the right approach and made an application to the court rather than being foolish enough to go ahead and breach the curfew."
