Abusive neighbour jailed for 70 days (From The Bolton News)

Abusive neighbour jailed for 70 days

8:30am Sunday 5th July 2009

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A MAN who made his neighbour the target of a 12-month campaign of threats and intimidation has been sent to prison.

Jason Howarth, aged 38, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 70 days after repeatedly flouting a ban which prevented him entering Shackleton Grove and neighbouring streets in Johnson Fold.

Victim Sharon Hodgkinson spoke of her relief at seeing Howarth jailed. He was given the anti-social behaviour injunction after making threats to kill her and subjecting her to months of vile abuse following a row with her young children.

Mrs Hodgkinson, aged 38, says Howarth shouted degrading comments at her across the street, made threatening “throat slitting” actions towards her and vowed to burn down her house. The mother-of-six, who lives in Shackleton Grove with husband Roy, said: “It is a massive relief that he is now in prison. There have been times when I haven’t wanted to go outside my own front door because of him. We should not be made to live like this and that is why I decided to take a stand.”

Mrs Hodgkinson helped police and Bolton At Home to convict Howarth by keeping a diary of his misdemeanours. She added: “There was one time when he came round late at night and started shouting that he was going to kill me and burn down my house. Luckily I was able to capture it on the video camera I was given by the anti-social behaviour team and it is has ended with him behind bars.”

Howarth was warned about his behaviour in June 2007 and threatened with eviction. In June last year he was given 28 days to leave his house and given an injunction to stop him going near the Hodgkinsons. He breached that order and was given a one-month suspended sentence but after a further breach was sent to jail.

Within two hours of his release, Howarth breached the injunction and was given a 42-day suspended sentence. After further breaches between September 2008 and June, Howarth was arrested and appeared at Bolton County Court where the judge invoked the previous 42-day sentence and added another 28 days for his recent behaviour.

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