Man went to home of woman he was banned from seeing and banged on door causing young boy to cry

Paul Sankey, 36, was banned from going to the address in Shifnal by a court order when he showed up there on the evening of October 14 last year.

The victim and a friend were at home doing paperwork and they realised something was wrong when a pet dog became "unsettled", Telford Magistrates Court heard last Wednesday.

A statement from the victim read out to the court by prosecutor Katie Price said that when she went to investigate the external door, she saw "a pair of hands coming through the letterbox".

"I became nervous and scared," the statement said. "I heard a voice shout 'whose f***ing dog is that'.

"He started banging on the door so hard I thought he was going to smash it through."

A young boy who had been upstairs came down crying, having been disturbed by the commotion.

One of the women put her foot against the door Sankey was banging on while the other phoned the police, the court heard.

Sankey was arrested, and it was discovered that he had also damaged the fence panel outside the house. He pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage and breaching a non-molestation order banning him from going near the victim.

In a statement made some months after that night and read out to the court, the victim said the crime had made her feel unsafe being on her own.

Sankey, who represented himself in court, told the magistrates: "I would just like to apologise for any inconvenience and damage that I've caused."

He said he is receiving counselling and is in touch with support services for his use of alcohol.

Magistrates handed down a community order of 18 months with an alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirement plus rehabilitation activity days.

Sankey, of St Cuthberts Crescent in Albrighton, was also ordered to pay £400 in compensation, a victim surcharge of £114 and prosecution costs of £180.