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. 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.
At a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday, it was revealed that Wheaton was invited to fix an appliance at the victim’s house. However, after she fell asleep, she awoke to find her belongings missing. The defendant had taken an iPhone, £700 in cash, jewellery, and had ransacked a spare room.
The court heard that the victim contacted Wheaton to return her grandfather’s ring, which he did, but he retained the other stolen items. Subsequently, the victim reached out to the police. On February 28, Wheaton called the victim and demanded she pick him up from a nearby garage, threatening her with violence if she did not comply.
Later, Wheaton was found by the police loitering in the victim’s front garden. He pleaded guilty to theft and two counts of harassment. The court was informed that Wheaton had a history of 24 previous convictions, including multiple theft and harassment offences.
In mitigation, it was mentioned that Wheaton had served six months in prison on remand and had been employed before his imprisonment. The victim had reportedly sent the defendant emails using aliases and code names, along with photographs of herself.
During the sentencing, Judge Eugene Egan remarked that Wheaton’s actions were a betrayal of trust and sentenced him to a 12-month community order with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement. The judge highlighted that Wheaton’s theft had breached the victim’s trust and emphasized the seriousness of his actions.
This case serves as a reminder of the impact of crimes involving theft and harassment, and the importance of upholding legal orders and respecting boundaries. Wheaton’s sentence reflects the gravity of his offences and aims to prevent further harm to the victim and deter similar actions in the future.