A man has been given a suspended prison sentence after he sent a Valentine’s card to his former girlfriend earlier this year.
Steven Eason, 56, formerly of Bexhill Road, Woodingdean, sent the card despite having been made the subject of a three-year restraining order by Brighton magistrates last October for stalking Sarah Terry.
At Lewes Crown Court, Richard Elliott, prosecuting, said that Eason had breached the order “so quickly”, harassing his ex earlier this year.
Eason, now of Penhill Road, Lancing, admitted two breaches, when he appeared before Judge Christine Laing, the honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove.
Andrew Bishop, defending, told the court: “It was a relationship that lasted 13 years. He did take a while to get over it but he is now well and truly over it.”
Mr Bishop added that none of the breaches had been “of a threatening or malicious nature” and that Eason had spent time in custody after his arrest.
He was brought before Judge Laing earlier this year and she deferred sentence so that experts could explore whether he could receive mental health treatment.
Mr Bishop praised the efforts of Christ Bath, a clinical nurse specialist, who liaises between the courts and the NHS. He had tried to obtain mental health support for Eason.
Mr Bishop added that, in the meantime, his client had been working well with the probation service.
Judge Laing said that she had considered imposing a mental health treatment order which would require a named consultant psychiatrist.
But none was available – only locum psychiatrists – and Judge Laing added: “I’ve got no confidence that things will improve soon.”
The judge said: “I’m hidebound by the state of the National Health Service because there are not enough psychiatrists.”
She also noted that he had not committed any further breaches of the restraining order since he appeared before the court for sentence three months earlier.
Eason was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to attend 25 days of rehabilitation activity.
The judge imposed a new restraining order lasting 10 years, requiring Eason to stay away from Ms Terry and barring him from Farm Close, Portslade, as well as Wickwoods Country Club and every David Lloyd leisure centre in the country.
