Portadown man sentenced for harassment of woman he claimed to have been in a relationship with

Colin Hawthorne (35), with an address given as Edward Street in Portadown, admitted a charge of harassment relating to September this year but a charge of 'stalking' was withdrawn by prosecutors.

The court was told the woman would have experienced “a great degree of fear and anxiety” as a result of his actions.

Hawthorne appeared at court via a video link from prison where he has been on remand.

A prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday (December 13), that a woman saw a man standing at a road and he had then followed her to her address and had spoken to her.

The prosecutor said the woman told police Hawthorne had twice turned up at her home address a number of years ago, claiming to have been in a relationship with her and that he was the father of "her son".

The court heard that on the second occasion, the defendant had then claimed to be the father of "her daughter" but, the prosecutor added, the woman "stated that she didn't know this male and had never been in a relationship with him and only knows him from turning up at her door".

The prosecutor said when Hawthorne turned up in September this year he said he "wanted to see his daughter and that she looked like him".

The court heard the woman "pushed" the defendant "off her driveway as she was concerned that he may enter her house".

There was a "recording" of Hawthorne at the property, the court was told.

The defendant alleged to police he had gone to the house "to ask for a DNA test" and that he had been "attacked".

A defence lawyer said it was a "very strange set of facts". She said a High Court judge had previously ordered a mental health assessment in connection with the case and the outcome from that was that there were "no major concerns" regarding Hawthorne's mental health.

The defence lawyer added: "His firm instructions today were to enter a plea of guilty. I think he realises now how inappropriate his approach was. He understands now that he just can't simply do this anymore".

The lawyer told the court that the mental health assessment of Hawthorne "was that there are no severe mental health difficulties there. It really is as a result of his addiction issues, which, obviously, he has been 'dry' for the last number of months inside Maghaberry".

Handing down a five-month prison term and putting a two-year Restraining Order in place, District Judge Nigel Broderick said the defendant had a "poor criminal record".

The district judge told the defendant: "This is a concerning set of facts. I have no doubt that the victim would have been placed in a great degree of fear and anxiety as a result of your unusual and concerning behaviour."