Alan Atkinson, 40, has been fined after he was found at his former partner's home, despite a restraining order banning him from attending the address. The incident occurred after the woman invited him over, and the pair argued over music choice.
Invitation led to breach
Atkinson was made subject of an 18-month restraining order in February this year, following a conviction for harassing his former partner. The order prohibited him from attending her address, a rule he adhered to until last week, when the victim invited him round, Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told.
Atkinson attended and the pair drank alcohol together before arguing over "what they would play next on the music system". The victim asked him to leave, but he refused, and police were called. He was arrested and appeared in the dock in custody less than 24 hours later, pleading guilty to one count of breaching a restraining order.
Court hears details
Christopher O'Brien, prosecuting, said: "The offence today is by invitation to the complainant's house but the defendant began to drink and became argumentative and was asked to leave but refused. His presence at the address was witnessed by the police."
The court heard that Atkinson, of Longhorn Close, in Heaton, was also on a community order at the time. He had only four offences on his record and had not contacted the victim at all for six months.
Defence and sentence
Nick Kell, defending, told magistrates that the victim had called Atkinson "out of the blue" and asked him to come over. Mr Kell added: "He naively thought that, because she had changed address and she had invited him over, he was not doing anything wrong. He very nearly called the Probation Service to check if that was OK but, sadly, decided not to make that call. The pair were drinking together and an argument arose over what they were going to play next on the music system. She went into another room and phoned the police. She told him she had phoned the police and he said he would sit there and wait for them."
Magistrates fined Atkinson £200 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.
