The court heard that the man subjected the underage cafe worker to a campaign of intimidation and intimidation to get back at her mother. Mark Thorne repeatedly entered the room where the teenager worked and looked at her through the window, waved his hands and pretended to take pictures of her trying to work. The defendant went out of his way to visit the cafe several times a week for months.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the 59-year-old’s actions had caused the victim immense distress and had forced her to leave her home. The defendant denied harassing the teenager, claiming he was walking past the cafe, but was found guilty at trial.

The court heard that Thorne had already received a restraining order against the teenager’s mother because of her behavior, but had already been arrested for violating the order.

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Thorne visited the Swansea cafe where his teenage victim worked more than 40 times, always standing outside and looking at the woman through the window as she worked. He also made hand gestures and pretended to take pictures of her. More than once, other cafe employees came out to argue with the defendant, who was met with hostility and aggression.

The court heard that Thorne’s behavior had a significant impact on the teenager, making her nervous at work, depressed and afraid to leave the house. In a statement read out in court, he said he now “questions everyone she knows”.

Mark James Peter Thorne, of Hale Lane, Southgate, Gower, had a previous conviction for stalking which caused him serious distress or distress when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 53 convictions for 151 crimes, including violating a restraining order against the mother of a cafeteria worker. Thorne was a “prolific” thief in his youth, the court heard.

Kate Williams of Thorne said the defendant didn’t fully realize the anguish he had caused the teen, but he now did and wanted to apologize. She said she hoped her client had gotten over his “obsession” with the family in question.

Judge Paul Thomas CC told Thorne that he carried out a “deliberate, persistent and determined campaign of harassment” against his young victim. He said the distress the defendant was causing the teenager must have been obvious and said that after hearing the evidence in court, he believed that Thorne had repeatedly gone to the cafe to “mentally torture” his victim as a way of getting revenge on him. your mother. . Judge Thomas told the defendant that his crime was too serious for any sentence other than immediate imprisonment.

Thorne was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He will serve half of that period in custody before being released on leave to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant was ordered to have no contact with the victim and her mother for the next five years.

Source: Wales Online