TYRERSAL CARETAKER PLEADS GUILTY TO HARASSMENT AFTER 'GORGEOUS PSYCHO' CAMPAIGN
Care assistant June Gillard said she was put through seven months of hell by Bradford Council caretaker David Leyland, who sent abusive letters, branding her a prostitute, to her home.Leyland, 55, a married father-of-three, was yesterday warned that he could face jail after he pleaded guilty at Bradford Magistrates' Court to harassing her between March and October last year.
The court was told how Leyland, 55, of Tyersal Close, Tyersal, began contacting Mrs Gillard after meeting her at a party organised by Bierley Court Residential Home, where she and Leyland's wife both worked.
Patrick Gallagher, prosecuting, said: "He wanted her to dance and she did have one dance with him.
But that resulted in a course of unwanted approaches by telephone and by letter and he waited for her outside her place of employment." Mr Gallagher said Mrs Gillard was then bombarded with flowers and chocolates and sackfuls of junk mail at the home she shared with her husband Alaric.
Workmen also appeared at her home daily, including gardeners, garage builders and plumbers, claiming they had been contacted by the Gillards, he said.
Mrs Gillard was forced to quit her job at the care home and contacted the police, who warned Leyland about his behaviour in June, 2002.
The court heard how the final straw came when she left her house one day to find posters with the words "gorgeous psycho" and "carry on sexual harassment" strewn across the road.
Leyland also sent a letter to Mrs Gillard's house shortly after, saying her husband was ill and this resulted in Mr Gillard being admitted to hospital for blood tests which proved negative.
A letter also branded Mrs Gillard a "prostitute" and the "shift bike" at the care home.
After contacting the police again, officers searched Leyland's car and house, finding copies of the posters and other abusive material on his computer.
He was arrested.
Warning that Leyland faced the possibility of jail, District Judge David Thomas said: "This is a serious matter.
Even with hearing your version of events you've made a complete hell out of Mrs Gillard's life." He adjourned sentencing for four weeks for psychiatric reports to be prepared.
Leyland was granted bail on condition that he stayed at least 100 metres away from Mrs Gillard's house.
In mitigation, Philippa Murray, said Leyland had a friend who told him to send some of the material, but he had admitted sending the abusive letter himself.
After the hearing, Mrs Gillard, 54, of Burberry Close, Bierley, said she was relieved her ordeal was finally over.
She said she seen a counsellor and was put on medication by her doctor because of it.
She said: "He's put me through 12 months of total misery.
I rejected him and he just started to try to ruin my marriage and my life.
I did nothing to encourage him at all.
I never want to go through this again."
