Ordered to stay away (From Stroud News and Journal)

Ordered to stay away

A STALKER has had her mobile phone confiscated and been ordered to leave Stroud after failing to stay away from a former boyfriend.

Kate Louise Barton, 33, of Claypits, Eastington, was told to leave town by 4pm at South Gloucestershire Magistrates sitting in Stroud on Monday morning.

Ms Barton had previously appeared in court on Friday, January 4 charged with harassment of Mark Simmonds of Stonehouse and his parents Ralph and Rose.

She had been released on bail on the condition she did not contact the family.

But she was later arrested for breach of bail and spent the weekend in custody before appearing before magistrates again on Monday for a preliminary hearing of the new offence.

"It is said she has contacted Mark Simmonds between January 3 and January 6 and she has been arrested for a new offence of harassment," said court clerk Theresa Perry.

"She made repeated attempts to contact him with text messages and phone calls."

Martin Hunt, prosecuting, told the court: "Ms Barton and Mr Simmonds have known each other for some little while. It would seem the relationship came to an end but perhaps this lady cannot accept that situation.

He added that Mr Simmonds did not initiallyknow who was making the calls at the weekend but suspected it was Ms Barton.

"He phoned the number back and was told it was someone called Mandy and she wanted to meet him.

"Now convinced the caller was this lady he made arrangements for a meeting and called the police," said Mr Hunt.

Police officers staked out the meeting place and subsequently arrested Ms Barton when she turned up. They also confiscated her mobile phone.

Mr Hunt told the court Ms Barton had a previous conviction for harassment involving another man and a second conviction for breaching the restraining order placed on her at that time.

"Clearly the matter has got to stop," he said. "If this lady cannot appreciate that court conditions mean what they say the only alternative is to ask that she be remanded in custody."

Clare Malvern-White, defending Ms Barton, said her client was extremely upset by the situation.

"She does have a problem and she totally accepts that now," she said. "She has been demonstrating what the medical profession might call obsessive behaviour towards the gentleman and she realises this must stop."

"Ms Barton tells me she has suffered a number of rejections over the years. She was adopted as a child. Her natural parents rejected her and a lot of boyfriends have let her down.

"She can't face another rejection."

Ms Malvern-White said her client, who had been suffering from severe depression, now wanted to get away from the area and try to get over what had become a major problem in her life.

Magistrates agreed to release Ms Barton on bail until January 18 while the prosecution and defence prepared their cases.

Bail was granted on the condition that Ms Barton made no attempt to contact Mr Simmonds or his family by any method and to stay out of Stroud and Stonehouse until her next court appearance.

She was ordered to leave Stroud by 4pm and to stay at an Oxford bail hostel until her case was dealt with.