A 51-YEAR-OLD man who pushed a woman – making her stumble backwards – and then made more than 25 abusive phone calls to her has been jailed for four months.
Daniel Charles Cornish, who had numerous previous convictions for similar offences against the same victim, had restraining orders imposed on him before, but Relief Magistrate David Cadin said: “They don’t seem to have done any good.”
Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, told the court that Cornish followed the woman to the People’s Park on the afternoon of 28 April.
The woman told him to leave her alone but Advocate Taylor said: “The defendant shoved the victim on her chest and caused her to stumble backwards.”
The incident was witnessed by other people in the park.
She added: “He sent more than 25 messages to the victim between 4pm and 7pm.”
Some called her “scum of the earth” and “evil” or said that he would “ruin” her.
When arrested, Cornish told the police that the woman had assaulted him first and he had pushed her in self-defence.
He later admitted the charges of assault and making phone calls aiming to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety.
Of the assault, Advocate Paul Nicholls, defending, argued: “It was a relatively minor offence. It was nothing more serious than a push.”
But Mr Cadin said: “What occurred was an unpleasant altercation in public.” And he told Cornish: “You are at high risk of reoffending and a high risk of harm to others.
“Although these offences may be relatively minor, when put into context they are far more serious.
“I have no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.”
