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Regional journalist who harassed ex-partner given restraining order

A regional journalist has been given a restraining order after admitting harassing his former partner.

Ian Monaghan, of Union Mews, Headland, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment without violence by sending multiple emails to Adelle Kennedy between September and November 2015.

The father of two, who works as a journalist with Johnston Press, was given a six-month restraining order not to contact Ms Kennedy, as well as a six-month conditional discharge.

His sentence was reported on the website of Johnston Press-owned daily the Hartlepool Mail.

Hartlepool court

Gary Fothergill, prosecuting at Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court, pictured above, said the sheer volume of emails had caused Ms Kennedy to feel harassed because the defendant would talk about how he wanted them to get back together.

Neil Taylor defending, said: “None of this was threatening. This is just a father who didn’t want to be out of his children’s lives.”

He added: “He did not want to harass her, but he accepts he had.”

Monaghan was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 surcharge.

2 comments

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  • March 25, 2016 at 11:15 am
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    “Did his paper report the proceedings?”
    Do most regional daily and weekly papers bother with reporting mags court cases?
    I doubt the fact it involves “one of their own” would make an iota of difference. It would involve somebody spending/”wasting” a whole morning out of the office. Just as easy to pick the result up from the court clerk’s office.

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