Jealous man harassed his ex with texts and phone calls

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, March 29, how Craig Webley, 35, believed his partner was having an affair and this triggered nearly a month of harassment at her home in Clowne.

Prosecuting solicitor Sarah Haslam said: “The defendant and the complainant had been in an 11-year relationship.”

She added that the complainant works at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and the defendant has been suffering with anxiety and depression issues and there were difficulties between them in the last two years.

Ms Haslam said: “Things came to a head when she had been chatting to a work colleague and it was nothing more than that. He became jealous and thought there was something to it.”

Webley got the name of the male colleague, according to Ms Haslam, and phoned the hospital pretending to be a patient but someone recognised his voice and the call was handed to someone else.

The defendant then began bombarding his ex with texts and phone calls, according to Ms Haslam, and he was warned by his ex that she was going to go to police because she felt she was being harassed.

The complainant stated that she wanted the defendant to leave her alone except for when they have to deal with childcare arrangements and financial matters regarding the sale of their family home.

Ms Haslam added that the couple split up in December, last year, and the defendant moved out but he began harassing her just one day later.

Webley, of Norfolk Street, Worksop, pleaded guilty to causing harassment between December 31, 2016, and January 27, 2017.

Defence solicitor Paul McLeod said it is a sad situation because they were together for eleven years and in the defendant’s mind his partner had been having an affair.

Magistrates sentenced Webley after considering a probation service report.

Webley was given a 12 month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also given a one-year restraining order and must pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.