A Neyland woman has pleaded guilty to causing harassment after becoming ’fixated’ on a man she met on a dating site.
Fifty-seven-year-old Michelle Swan of Gordon Parry Close appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to admit a charge of harassment without violence.
The offence took place between January 1 and February 28.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court how Ms Swan met the complainant through a dating website and they were in a relationship for six months which ended in December 2018.
The court then heard how the complainant borrowed £750 from Ms Swan to pay for a new set of tyres and gearbox for his car. It was also noted that this money came from Ms Swan’s mother.
Mr. Pritchard-Jones read out voicemail messages that Ms Swan had sent to the complainant, which stated: “I’ve got a vendetta against you, if I see you be warned, goodbye.”
“I haven’t forgotten what you’ve done to me. I will never forgive what you did to me.”
Magistrates also heard how the defendant rang the complainant’s workplace along with his friends and family to ask where he was.
In fact, the harassment got so serious that the complainant had to leave his job.
Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher told the court that his client suffered from mental-health issues, and depression and was ‘fixated’ with the complainant.
He argued that the messages weren’t threats and caused limited distress to the victim.
Mr. Kelleher said that the complainant didn’t respond to Ms Swan’s phone calls and all she wanted was her money back.
He said that his client could not go to the Small Claims Court as it cost £80 to start a claim - money he said that she didn’t have.
Furthermore, Mr. Kelleher also mentioned that the defendant had not been in contact with the complainant for the past six months and that there was still property beloonging to her at the victim’s house.
Magistrates issued Ms Swan with a restraining order until August 19, 2022 - with conditions not to seek, approach or communicate by any means, directly and indirectly or get in contact with the complainant, and that she must not loiter within 100 metres of the victim’s address.
The defendant must also not try and communicate, directly or indirectly or mention the complainant using any electronic device, network or social media.
Ms Swan was also given a six-month conditional discharge with the Chief Magistrate warning her that the offence would be revisited if she committed the same offence again.
She was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs as well as a £20 victim surcharge.