JEALOUS DAD BOMBARDED EX WITH BARRAGE OF CALLS AND MESSAGES IN BARROW
A ‘JEALOUS’ dad has been sentenced after he bombarded his ex-girlfriend with a ‘barrage of unwanted messages and calls’ after believing she had been unfaithful.Toby O’Neill, of Middlefield, Barrow, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to one count of harassment without violence at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court on October 9.
Lee Dacre, prosecuting, said the offending occurred after the 24-year-old’s former partner returned to her home address in Great Urswick after finishing work at around 1:50 am on May 17 this year.
“The complainant found she had a message from a friend after the defendant had contacted her boyfriend to ask where she was,” Mr Dacre said.
He believed she had been out in town and was jealous.
“At 2:00am, the defendant came past her front door and lingered around for around one hour before returning at 3:50am to press her Ring doorbell.
From 4:00am until around 12:00pm, the defendant barraged her with unwanted calls and messages insinuating she was sleeping with other men.
It made her feel unsafe in her own home.
The court heard the parties had been in a relationship for around five years and shared two young children together.
In mitigation, defence solicitor Andy Gallagher said his client acknowledged his actions were ‘excessive’.
Mr Gallagher added: “It was an on/off relationship.
They separated from each other on a fairly regular basis and then would resume their relationship quite quickly.
That was what he expected.
The calls started in the middle of the night.
This was the defendant’s home address.
He was expecting when they got the opportunity to speak again, they would be back together quite quickly.
None of these messages were abusive.
It was not his intention to cause harassment, alarm or distress but that was the outcome.
He should have known that was likely.
This was a short lived over one day lasting around ten hours.
On August 8, the complainant sent a number of repeated calls to the defendant in the early hours of the morning.
It is relevant to the context of the relationship.
Chair of the bench, Chris Harris fined O’Neill £80 for the offence.
He also told the defendant to pay £85 in court costs and a £32 victim surcharge.
