MAN CONVICTED FOR BREACHING RESTRAINING ORDER AND STALKING PSYCHIC
A man named Michael Coleman was subjected to a legal case after repeatedly breaching his restraining order against a psychic he was previously banned from contacting.Coleman argued that he did not breach the order because the victim was in Germany at the time, asserting that the order did not apply outside the jurisdiction.
A district judge was astonished by this claim and sentenced him to four months in custody, suspended for a year, while also requiring him to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and court costs of £85.
Coleman was handed an indefinite restraining order in October of the previous year after he caused significant distress to the psychic by posting insulting messages accusing her of being a fraud on a community Facebook page, and by calling her multiple times.
The court heard that his actions led the victim to become isolated, move house, and suffer severe mental distress.
His behavior was further problematic because he visited her house after the restraining order was in effect, attempting to communicate.
Prosecutor Maggie Cavanagh explained that the victim had met Coleman at work in December 2017 but never had a relationship with him.
She expressed fear of what he might do, saying: "I think Michael is capable of anything and I am fearful of him." Coleman’s solicitor claimed they had been in a relationship and that he believed she had returned to Germany for good, which he used to justify his contact attempts, stating that he thought he was not breaching the order.
Despite Coleman’s arguments, the judge emphasized that a court order must be respected regardless of the victim's location and highlighted his previous breach two weeks after the order was imposed.
The judge added that Coleman had not breached since but that breaching a court order so soon after it was issued was serious, and he was reminded of the importance of listening to court instructions.
