King's Lynn man admits harassment after accusing ex-partner of stealing from her workplace
A North Lynn man who found it hard to accept the end of a relationship has been sentenced for harassing his former partner.
At one point William John Hardiman told her care home workplace that she had stolen from it and she was subsequently suspended pending an investigation.
A court heard that he had constantly phoned and messaged her, leaving 80 voicemails, after she called time on the three-year relationship, partly due to his behaviour after drinking.
Hardiman, 59, was before magistrates in Lynn yesterday, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of harassment without violence.
The first period was between September 19 and December 21, 2020. Police were called to remove Hardiman from a wall at the back of her address and she later felt the need to block his mobile number.
Prosecutor Bethany Richards said: “He then called her workplace and asked to speak to her. She refused.
“On December 15 she was informed that she was suspended pending an investigation. The defendant had made an allegation that she was stealing from the workplace.”
Another course of conduct was pursued between February 13 and 26, 2021.
Hardiman used a different mobile number to call her. The complainant received so many voicemail messages that she contacted her network provider to have the function switched off.
Hardiman also waited near her home, pleading to talk to her about the relationship because “he didn’t know what he had done wrong”.
Andrew Cogan, mitigating, said his client felt at the time of the offences that there was some hope of rekindling the relationship but has since accepted that it is over.
He had self-referred himself to alcohol support provider CGL and was awaiting a mental health assessment.
Hardiman, of Columbia Way, was given a two-year community order with up to 35 rehabilitation days and a 12-month alcohol treatment order.
A two-year restraining order was imposed and Hardiman was ordered to pay a £95 victim surcharge.
