Spurned man spared jail after breach of injunction (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Spurned man spared jail after breach of injunction

7:23pm Friday 13th June 2008

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A SPURNED man facing a jail term after telling his ex-partner he loved her has won his freedom.

Ben Lee Almond, 29, could not accept his seven year relationship with the victim was over. She had taken out an injunction, but he had ignored it.

Almond, of Sefton Terrace, Burnley, had earlier admitted harassment, breaching a non-molestation order and damage. He had been remanded in custody for pre-sentence reports and a district judge had warned him custody could be on the cards.

The defendant, who has mental health problems, was on Wednesday given a two year community order, with supervision and the domestic violence programme. He must pay £100 compensation.

The bench told him he had come "very, very close," to a custodial sentence, but had already served time on remand.

The court had been told the defendant and victim had been split up for four months on April 26 when he smashed in her back door and was waiting for her in her house.

He told police she had not answered and he had wanted to know where she was staying.

An injunction was taken out on April 30 and Almond flouted it for the first time three days later when he was at the victim's home wanting to speak to her.

The defendant appeared in custody, was bailed and then phoned his former partner.

Almond breached the order a third time on May 14. He approached her in a car in Westgate, Burnley, told her not to be fright-ened and said he really missed her and loved her.

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