A man who previously came to court dressed as several different superheroes was sentenced today for harassing his former landlady by threatening to kill her dog Elsa during a row over an unpaid debt.
David Chick, 53, was refused entry to a courtroom at Brighton Magistrates Court last year after refusing to take off his costume, which included elements of Spiderman, Superman, Supergirl and Wonder Woman.
District judge Tessa Szagun was then told it was part of a Fathers4Justice protest – but today, it emerged the harassment arose over allegations he had stolen his former landlady Laura Murray’s dog- and threatened to kill it.
Chick once again had difficulties attending the hearing at Brighton Magistrates Court, but today it was because of technical difficulties with his videolink from his home in Bozeat, Northamptonshire.
And he was not wearing any facepaint, just a tattoo of a spiders’ web on his temple.
Prosecuting, Eleanor Richards said: “Mr Chick lived with Laura Murray for about two months in the context that he was renting a room from her.
“David Chick was accused of having stolen Laura Murray’s dog. This matter didn’t proceed but there were a lot of problems around this time and he moved out and left some of his belongings at the property.
“Shortly after this on August 12, 2019, Laura Murray received threatening voicemail messages from Mr Chick.
“There were 31 voicemail messages, mostly about the sum of £1,000 which she had owed to him. Some of the messages were up to 20 minutes long.
“Miss Murray sent Mr Chick an email telling him not to contact her except to collect his belongings which would be left outside the house.
“In reply, Mr Chick sent an insulting email calling her a fat lesbian alcoholic.”
She said an envelope was then left on Miss Murray’s doorstep, containing a letter alleging she mistreated her dog Elsa.
On August 29, Mr Chick came to the house, and when Miss Murray said he couldn’t come in, he banged on the door saying “I want my money” and put his hand through the letterbox and talked about the dog.
Finally, he left an abusive review of Miss Murray on the Spareroom website, which she used to rent out the room he had previously occupied.
Miss Richards said Miss Murray had provided a statement in which she said the harassment had left her “scared and very frightened.”
In the statement, Miss Murray said: “I don’t know when he will come round again. I have paid the £104 so he’s now got the full £1,000 and there’s no need for him to contact me again.
“I also fear for my dog Elsa.”
Miss Richards said there had been threats to kill the dog.
Defending, Aphra Bruce-Jones said that since the review on Spareroom, Mr Chick had not had any contact with Miss Murray at all.
She said: “This was an isolated incident. It came from an argument between the two of them.
“Once his belongings were collected and Mr Chick received the money that he felt he was owed, there was no further contact between them.”
Chick’s lawyer had pleaded not guilty on his behalf last March, and he was convicted after a short trial on 16 February this year, following several pandemic-related delays.
Sentencing today, the bench gave Chick 12 months community service with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and ordered him to pay a fine of £120, victim surcharge of £95 and £150 court costs – a total of £365 which will be taken out of his benefits.
He was not given any unpaid work as he has a bad back and the presiding magistrate Alison Musker said there was no requirement for a restraining order as he had moved so far away and the harassment had taken place so long ago.
