Thomas Baxter, 41, of Langley Road, North Shields, has been sentenced for breaching a restraining order by bombarding his mother with phone calls. He pleaded guilty to the breach and was jailed for 30 weeks at Newcastle Crown Court.
Breach of restraining order
Baxter had been given a two-year restraining order following a conviction for common assault. The order banned him from contacting his mother by any means or attending his home. That offence arose after he made requests for money which were denied; he raised his fists to his chest and screamed, causing his mum to fear for her safety. He received a conditional discharge for that offence.
Prosecuting, Cainan Lonsdale said Baxter breached the restraining order by contacting his mother repeatedly by phone in what she described as a threatening manner. Voicemails were also left. He had previously received eight weeks' custody for breaching the order and was dealt with for the conditional discharge.
Latest offences
On March 11 this year, Baxter contacted his mother by phone using a withheld number. When she answered, he said: "How long do you think you can ignore me?" When told not to contact her, he said: "What sort of mother are you". Mr Lonsdale said: "For the next 45 minutes, he continued contacting her by phone, calling her 13 times from a withheld number."
Baxter has 18 previous convictions and was jailed for ten weeks in October last year for common assault after pushing his mum to the chest. He has also breached a restraining order in relation to an ex partner six times.
Sentence and release
Judge Robert Adams said Baxter has served more than the portion of the 30-week sentence he would spend in custody, and so he will be released. His barrister made no representations after being told what the judge intended to do.
