Reading Magistrates' Court: Newbury man found guilty of harassment

A Newbury man has been convicted of harassment and using abusive or threatening language after a number of incidents in town.

Stephen Roy Birmingham, of Queens Road, was found guilty of four charges – including driving by Joanne Crook’s house on several occasions and staring through her window.

He will be sentenced on March 18.

In the trial on Friday, Reading Magistrates’ Court heard how Mr Birmingham, a plasterer, had been abusive to Mrs Crook and Benedict Andrews in York Road.

The court heard how Mr Andrews had asked Mr Birmingham to slow down before an argument ensued.

Richard Atkins, prosecuting, said the argument had become so loud that Mrs Crook – who was further down the road – came out of her house and intervened on Mr Andrews’ behalf.

The court heard how Mr Birmingham had been abusive to both Mr Andrews and Mrs Crook, threatening to “knock” Mr Andrews’ head in.

On another occasion, the court heard how Mr Birmingham had followed Jeffrey Crook while he was working, and that Mr Birmingham had driven past Mrs Crook’s house several times, staring in through the windows and waving his middle finger.

Defending, Nathaniel Ikeazor said it was Mr Birmingham who had been the victim of harassment, and had only told Mr Andrews and Mrs Crook to mind their own business.

He alleged that Mr Crook had blocked Mr Birmingham’s car in and refused to move until asked five or six times, and that it was always Mr Crook who had approached him – after another incident in a car park.

He added that York Road was Mr Birmingham’s regular route to work and that he hadn’t made any detours.

Chief magistrate Meryl Bonser said she found the prosecution witnesses’ accounts credible and found Mr Birmingham guilty of two counts of harassment without violence, one count of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused alarm or distress, and one count of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause Mr Crook distress.

Mr Birmingham was ordered to pay £755 costs and was released on bail, subject to a restraining order.