Beer mat jibe sees Clacton man end up in court

David Hinchcliffe, of Upper Park Road, Clacton, gave a series of letters to his former partner and colleagues at the residential home where they both worked.

He admitted a charge of harassment during a hearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

Joseph Stickings, prosecuting, said Hinchcliffe, 51, said the first letter included the phrase “I’m going to use every penny I have got to bring you down and destroy you”.

He told the court Hinchcliffe’s ex-wife had stopped maintenance payments negotiated during their divorce after discovering he had a new partner.

Two more letters were given to staff at York House care home containing details of their divorce settlement, while the third contained images of a beer bottle and the message “Sorry to disappoint you. No change there. At least I found a beer named after you.”

Mr Stickings said Hinchcliffe told police during interview he was angry and wanted people to hear his side of the story.

The beer bottle had been a joke and six months ago “she would have laughed at it, not felt it was inappropriate,” he said.

Laura Austin, mitigating, said Hinchcliffe had no previous convictions or warnings, and had not been warned about his letters as most people are in harassment cases.

She said: “It is unclear why he was not given a harassment warning, which would be usual in these circumstances. He is a man of good character and has told me that had someone spoken to him, he would have heeded that advice.”

She said Hinchcliffe was off work with depression, receiving only statutory sick pay and was heavily in arrears with mortgage payments following the divorce.

Ms Austin added the couple had been married for ten years until their relationship finished at the end of last year.

Magistrates gave Hinchcliffe a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay reduced costs of £40.

A separate civil case to agree a financial settlement between the pair is ongoing.