MAN FLOUTED COURT BAN BY USING ALLEY

Court told he used route as a short cut to shop

FOOLISH Gareth Bloor has appeared in court for flouting a restraining order – after he was spotted in an alleyway that he was banned from.

The 33-year-old, right, was prohibited from using the alley in Longton after he was convicted of the racially-aggravated harassment of a man whose house backs onto it.

But Bloor admitted walking along the alley because it was the quickest route to a local shop – and he wanted to get there before it closed.

Magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the offence happened on October 28 – around two weeks after the restraining order was imposed.

Prosecutor Ruth Bentley said: “The defendant used an alleyway from Kendrick Street to Weston Coyney Road, which runs to the rear of houses on Stockwell Road. “He was prohibited from doing so by a restraining order.

“The injured party in the raciallyaggravated harassment offence heard voices in the alley and saw the defendant. He phoned the police.”

Bloor, of Kendrick Street, Longton, went on to plead guilty to a charge of harassment – breach of a restraining order.

Rebecca Dulson, mitigating, said: “This was a very strange condition that was attached to the restraining order which meant the defendant could not walk to the rear of the injured party’s property, but can walk to the the front of it.

“He fully accepts he did walk in the alley on that date.

“The defendant is a fulltime carer for his partner and he needed to get to the shop at the end of the alley before it closed.

“It’s quicker going along the alley than walking around the front.

“There’s no suggestion that there was any contact between the defendant and the injured party.

“The injured party was in the window and the defendant was walking past.”

Magistrates fined Bloor £80 and ordered him to pay £135 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.