A MAN breached a restraining order when he spoke to his former partner when they came face to face outside the county court where they were involved in a child contact hearing.

Blackburn magistrates heard his ex claimed Scott Steven Crump had made a threatening comment to her but he said he had just pointed out the harm that what was happening was destroying their kids.

Crump, 43, of School Street, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to breach of a restraining order. He was made subject to a curfew for 12 weeks between 8pm and 8am and ordered to pay £85 victim surcharge.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said both parties were at Burnley County Court in relation to child contact. At 1pm she came out for a cigarette and was with a support worker who spotted Crump coming out. He crossed the road and came back and made a comment allegedly threatening her about what she was doing to the kids.

“She says he was very threatening and she was genuinely scared about what he might do next,” said Miss Allan.

“She went back in and told the judge what had happened.”

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said the underlying issue was that his client wanted to maintain contact with his children.

“It would appear she was upset that social services had allowed him unsupervised contact with the children,” said Mr Taylor.

“At court she was represented by a solicitor and had a support worker and he was on his own. He heard a lot of things he disagreed with and he accepts he was upset.

“A lot of barriers have been put up to stop him seeing his children and a lot of people would have given up by now but he is not prepared to do that.”