Magistrates grant restraining orders after campaign of harassment

A 26-year-old woman has been handed three restraining orders by Bath magistrates after her campaign of harassment, including a phone call threatening serious harm.

The court heard that between 1st October last year and 16th March this year, Chelsea Taylor harassed the sister of the man she used to date, bombarding her with messages and calls.

She made threats to damage property and to harm the woman, who lives in Combe Down, and her associates.

On 16th February, she sent a message threatening to stab her and her partner.

Taylor, of Lilac Court in Keynsham, was before the court for sentencing on Wednesday 6th August. She had pleaded guilty in June to harassment and making a threat of serious harm, and the case had been adjourned for a Probation Service report.

The court heard that Taylor used different accounts to maintain contact with the woman, who said in a statement that her mental health had been impacted, and she’d had to increase her antidepressants.

She said she had never provoked Taylor, whose comments included telling her victim to kill herself.

Taylor’s solicitor said there had been a lot of messages “fairly nasty in nature”. However, Taylor had never intended to carry out any of the threats but was expressing what she was feeling.

He said she doesn’t make friends easily and had been cut out of the family’s lives after the relationship ended.

He said Taylor has learning difficulties and is likely on the autism spectrum.

The court heard she works as a cleaner and has support from adult social care, as well as from other agencies and her family.

She had been abiding by 11 bail conditions while awaiting sentence.

Magistrates told her the offences were “serious” but felt a community order would not work as it would set her up to fail. They told her they wanted her to improve herself and move on.

They fined her £384 for each offence and ordered her to pay a surcharge of £307, plus prosecution costs of £85. They said they did not think compensation was appropriate.

They granted two-year restraining orders banning Taylor from having any contact with the victim, the victim’s mother, and the victim’s partner.