A Bath man has admitted causing criminal damage to a door at his former partner’s home after going there while drunk to try to get custody of their cat.
Ian Baker’s address on the charge sheet was given as Chelsea House in Snow Hill, but he told Bath magistrates he was now living at Chelscombe in Weston.
The court heard that on 28th April he damaged a glass pane in the door belonging to Helen Clarkson.
A second charge that he caused her harassment, alarm or distress by using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service at the hearing on Wednesday 3rd December.
Representing Baker, solicitor Bradley Axam said that two other men had been there when he went to get the cat and they had got aggressive, pushing Baker and locking him out.
He had hit the door in frustration, but the damage had been “minimal”. He was sorry for his actions.
Mr Axam informed the court that Helen Clarkson died on 25th November and Baker “is grief stricken”.
He also said that the night before Baker’s court appearance, he had been in A&E as he had been the victim of an assault which police were investigating.
Magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered 52-year-old Baker to pay Crown Prosecution Service costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £26.
