A 51-YEAR-OLD man who pushed a woman 鈥 making her stumble backwards 鈥 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: 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 seem to have done any good.鈥
Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, told the court that Cornish followed the woman to the People鈥檚 Park on the afternoon of 28 April.
The woman told him to leave her alone but Advocate Taylor said: 鈥淭he defendant shoved the victim on her chest and caused her to stumble backwards.鈥
The incident was witnessed by other people in the park.
She added: 鈥淗e sent more than 25 messages to the victim between 4pm and 7pm.鈥
Some called her 鈥渟cum of the earth鈥 and 鈥渆vil鈥 or said that he would 鈥渞uin鈥 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: 鈥淚t was a relatively minor offence. It was nothing more serious than a push.鈥
But Mr Cadin said: 鈥淲hat occurred was an unpleasant altercation in public.鈥 And he told Cornish: 鈥淵ou are at high risk of reoffending and a high risk of harm to others.
鈥淎lthough these offences may be relatively minor, when put into context they are far more serious.
鈥淚 have no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.鈥
