Man threatened to kill woman who refused to give him a lift
A man threatened to kill a woman he was prevented from having contact with by a court after she refused to give him a lift. He had earlier stolen a phone, cash, and jewellery from her after she let him into her house.
John Wheaton, 39, was made subject to a restraining order in respect of his victim in 2015, but around Christmas last year they reinstated contact with each other. She allowed the defendant to come back and forth to her address in Blackwood.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard Wheaton was invited to fix an appliance at the victim's house but after she fell asleep, she woke up to find her bag had been emptied. The defendant had taken an iPhone, £700 in cash, jewellery and a spare room had been ransacked. You can sign up to our regular Crime and Punishment newsletter here
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Prosecutor Rose Glanville said the victim contacted Wheaton and asked him to return her grandfather's ring. He did so but kept the other items, and the victim called the police.
On February 28, the victim received a call from Wheaton on a withheld number and demanded she pick him up from a nearby garage and take him to visit his children. During the call, he told her: "Don't take the p*** or I will come and find you and kill you." He later turned up at her home and was discovered by police loitering in her front garden.
Wheaton, of no fixed abode, later pleaded guilty to theft and two counts of harassment. The court heard he has 24 previous convictions, 11 of which are related to theft, and four offences of harassment.
In mitigation, the court was told Wheaton has served six months in prison on remand and prior to his imprisonment he had employment. It was also said the victim had sent the defendant multiple emails including photographs of herself, while using aliases and code names.
Sentencing, Judge Eugene Egan said: "The theft was a mean thing to do, you abused her trust and kept the items when she asked you to return them." Wheaton was sentenced to a 12-month community order and was made subject to a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement.
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