A stalker who carried out a campaign of terror against his ex warned her "life would crumble around her" if she reported his abuse. As reported by Teesside Live, John Mohan harassed his ex after their three-year relationship came to an end in March.
Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard an 18-minute call from the woman as John Mohan drove after her through the Teesside town of Yarm. The terrified woman could be heard pleading with police officers for help as he followed her in his truck.
Mohan also attended the woman’s home and damaged CCTV cables at the address whilst allegedly "picking up a big bag of gym clothes" from down the side of the property. And in another incident at a David Lloyd gym in nearby Thornaby, he began “shouting and swearing” at her before she left the health club in tears.
After she reported him to police, Mohan told her she “had until 5pm that day” to tell police it had been a “misunderstanding”. Prosecutor Anne Mitchell told the court how Mohan stated that his victim's “life would crumble around her” if she didn’t comply with the threats.
Mohan, 41, of Collingham Drive in Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to intimidating a witness by calling her and telling her to withdraw her statement. But he denied stalking and pursuing a course of conduct involving attending the woman’s address, hanging around outside her address and following her in her car.
He stood trial on Tuesday when District Judge Marie Mallon heard evidence from both Mohan and his ex-girlfriend. Regarding the verbal altercation in David Lloyds gym on May 4, the victim said Mohan was "annoyed" after spotting her working on her laptop in the cafe.
“He was calling me a c***,” she said. She then “ran off” to the bathroom - staying inside for five to 10 minutes. But when she left the toilets, he was outside, she told the court.
On May 6, the woman said Mohan’s Toyota van drove past with his arm out of the car, filming her house on his phone. She then left the property ‘to try and find his registration number’ to report him to police.
On her return she saw his van was parked four houses up, she said. After seeing him "stumbling across next door's garden as he went over the front hedge", she drove to the end of the road and dialled 999.
It was then he began to follow her, she said. When she stopped at a roundabout, Mohan “bumped into the back of the car about three times”.
He then “overtook extremely fast” onto the other side of the road “nearly hitting oncoming traffic”, the court was told. She made a U-turn when Mohan came “flying behind” her.
When pulled into the Shell petrol station, her ex got out of his van and started “banging” on the window of her vehicle “asking to talk”, she said.
“I was crying on the phone to 999 begging how long they’d be,” she told the court. A woman at the petrol station “confronted” Mohan and he “started having a go at her”, the victim said.
Mohan had denied overtaking the woman and driving into oncoming traffic. When asked about “banging” on the driver’s side window, he stated: “I wasn’t banging. I tapped on the window saying [woman’s name] can I just get my stuff. Can I speak to you for one minute?”
When Mohan took to the stand, he admitted following her, stating: “Yeah, trying to talk to her.” However, he denied “bumping” into her car with his van.
But his victim told the court: "He drove into oncoming traffic like an absolute nut job. Driving like a psycho for five to 10 minutes. I’m not going to get out and have a chat.”
Defending Mohan, Simon Walker said: "This is not a stalker. He’s not someone who can’t leave this lady alone. It is a set of circumstances not indicative of stalking behaviour.”
District Judge Mallon disagreed and found Mohan guilty of stalking. Judge Mallon described the woman as a “completely credible witness” but said Mohan's evidence was “all over the place”.
And she warned him prison may be cards when he appears back at court on November 3 for sentencing.
