Shropshire Star

Valentine's Day attempt to win back ex-girlfriend ends in court

A man's attempt to win his girlfriend back with flowers and chocolates on Valentine's Day ended with a conviction for harassment and a restraining order.

Published

Simon Havard left the gifts outside his ex-girlfriend's house near Market Drayton, despite an earlier warning from the police that he was harassing her.

Mrs Abigail Hall, prosecuting, said the victim had been in a four-month relationship with the defendant.

But she had ended it in January this year because of his jealous behaviour.

Mrs Hall said that Havard, 33, had been warned by police on February 7 that the calls, texts and Facebook messages he was sending amounted to harassment and that he should cease to contact her.

The court was told that he continued to do so, at one point sending a text to ask the victim about the man she was with, causing her to fear that he was following her.

A day after leaving chocolates and flowers at her house, Havard came to the door and forced his way inside.

But he ran away after she called the police, the court was told.

Mrs Hall said the victim was "constantly looking over her shoulder" and nervous around the house.

The court was told that Havard, from Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent, had continued to leave messages on her phone saying: "I'm going to get arrested anyway so tell me this, how do you get from falling in love with someone to nothing?"

In another he said: "I love you. Doesn't that mean anything?"

Havard admitted one charge of harassment without violence at a previous hearing of Telford Magistrates Court.

Yesterday, he was given a 24-month community punishment order, which included a 27-day course on building better relationships, a 30-day rehabilitation course, and 40 hours of unpaid work.

He was also told to pay a £60 victim surcharge and given an indefinite restraining order. This bans him from contacting the victim or going to her address.

Mr Danny Smith, for Havard, said his actions were "over-loving and unwanted, rather than aggressive and violent".

Mr Smith told the court that due to events in his life, Havard had great trouble forming trusting relationships.

As a result of the events in his life Havard had found it "very difficult to move on and accept the relationship was over", Mr Smith had further told the court.