Chester: Wrexham man sentenced after harassment incident

Leader Live

4 days ago

Russell Jones, 44, of Mwyn Ffordd, attended Chester Magistrates' Court for sentencing on Tuesday, June 3, having pleaded guilty to both offences on Friday, May 2.
CPS prosecutor Angela Blackmore said that the victim had been parking up near her home shortly after midnight on Friday, February 21, and spotted that a man was watching her.
She rolled down the window, and Jones asked if she had a phone charger, then began to make a series of sexual comments.
Ms Blackmore told the court that Jones had leant on the bonnet, which made the victim scared to leave the vehicle, and said he'd 'hired a girl for the night' and was trying to find out where the address was, before asking again for a charger.
The victim had said she felt 'afraid' during the exchange and Jones continue to talk about 'Russian girls' and 'getting with a girl' which she found 'very unsettling'.
He asked her intimate questions along with other comments and 'vulgar remarks'.
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At this point she locked the doors of the car and texted her friends, she also felt she could not leave the vehicle and go into her home, as this would alert Jones to where she lived.
The court heard that the incident lasted about 15 minutes in total, at which point the victim's friends arrived in another vehicle and an altercation took place between them and Jones.
Police later arrived and this seemed to deter Jones.
The victim then went to her friend's house, where she made a statement and stayed over as 'she did not feel safe staying at home'.
Jones told officers that he had been waiting to meet somebody and had needed to charge his phone.
While being searched by officers, three bags of white powder were discovered which were later confirmed to be cocaine.
He described the exchange with the victim as 'for want of a better word 'banter'".
The defence said Jones struggled with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression and had used alcohol as a coping mechanism for ongoing mental health issues.
The court heard that he had wanted to apologise and 'does not seek to excuse his actions.'
He had reflected on the incident and was now 'being proactive' to ensure that an incident like this would not happen again, by seeking help for his mental health, alcohol and drug issues.
Magistrates said that the incident 'must have been disturbing for her and it was disgusting behaviour'.
Jones will complete 120 hours of unpaid work, and pay a fine of £807, a victim surcharge of £323, and court costs of £85.