MAN SENTENCED AFTER CAMPAIGN OF HARASSMENT
A man who repeatedly harassed his ex-partner and broke a Non-Molestation Order has been imprisoned.At Chester Crown Court on 19 December, John Broadhurst-Dodd received a 37-month sentence and six restraining orders.
The 40-year-old, from Bunbury Lane, Bunbury, pleaded guilty to charges of harassment that caused fear of violence and to breaching the court order.
His former partner had previously been involved in a relationship with Broadhurst-Dodd, who displayed unpredictable and volatile behavior, attempting to make contact even after they parted ways.
Despite being served with a Non-Molestation Order in May 2024 which prohibited him from contacting her Broadhurst-Dodd continued his efforts using various methods, including secretly creating social media accounts and making calls where his identity was hidden.
Law enforcement tracked 14 different numbers linked to him that he used to reach the victim.
During one such call, Broadhurst-Dodd threatened to shoot and kill her, intensifying her fear for her safety.
Initially denying the allegations, Broadhurst-Dodd changed his plea to guilty during his trial, admitting to additional behaviors such as online indirect comments and orchestrating a family member to call her workplace.
In a bizarre incident in January 2025, the victim awoke to find a baby goat tied to her fence.
Broadhurst-Dodd later admitted in a phone call that he had arranged for the goat, which she liked, to be delivered.
While investigators could not locate the original owner, they confirmed the animal was safe and was later adopted by a local farmer.
Broadhurst-Dodd was detained and questioned by the Cheshire Police’s Harm Reduction Unit, a dedicated stalking investigation team, in February 2025.
He was charged with stalking that caused serious alarm or distress and violating the Non-Molestation Order.
The Crown Prosecution Service later accepted a plea of harassment with a fear of violence.
During his detention, authorities secured an interim Stalking Protection Order to safeguard the victim, which included a requirement for him to wear a GPS tracker if released.
