A WOMAN who harassed her ex-partner by posting burning rubbish through his door and smearing dog muck on his windows is to be released from custody.
Mercedes Harper (who identified herself as Mercedes Lovell), of no fixed abode, appeared for sentence at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday morning.
The 32-year-old had previously admitted one offence of stalking, which took place in Wrexham over a matter of days in May last year.
David Mainstone, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant in the case - Leon Lovell - had been in what he called an "extremely toxic" relationship with the defendant.
But as of the time of the offending, he no longer wanted to associate or have any contact with her.
Despite that, she would repeatedly attend his flat asking to be let in.
Her behaviour included continually knocking and banging on his flat door and windows.
On one occasion, she pushed rubbish through his letterbox - including a piece of paper that she'd lit on fire.
And on another occasion, after repeatedly trying and failing to get Mr Lovell to let her in, the defendant used her right hand to smear dog faeces across the windows of his kitchen and front room.
When arrested, Harper/Lovell claimed she'd been at Heddfan, having been sectioned, and denied seeing the complainant.
Mr Lovell, the court heard, had since completely withdrawn his support for the prosecution, as well as his statement.
But before he did that, he did make a victim statement, in which he said he had been putting up with harassment from the defendant for some 12 months and didn't feel he had been taken seriously.
He branded the defendant's behaviour "constant abuse and harassment."
Judge Timothy Petts interjected to address the defendant, who was waving her arms around on the video link from prison and speaking - despite having already been muted for her interruptions.
"There's no point waving at the screen," he told her.
"We don't need to hear from you.
"This is not an invitation for you to interrupt or speak."
Mr Mainstone added that Harper/Lovell had 13 previous convictions for 28 offences; including five for violence, five for criminal damage and two for harassment.
Importantly, he said, she was also convicted last year of stalking in very similar circumstances, for which she received a suspended sentence.
Ryan Rothwell made brief submissions, having already heard Judge Petts' intention to step back from a custodial sentence.
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He suggested a domestic abuse protection order was not required, but conceded it was a matter for the Judge to decide.
Mr Rothwell said while there was "a lot" his client appeared to wish to say to the court, he did not feel it would improve her situation, and would not improve upon the sentence that the Judge had already indicated he was considering.
He added: "Although she has somewhat undermined it in this hearing, I have represented her before and she is markedly better than I have ever seen her - more courteous and calm.
"There are rehabilitative prospects for the future."
Judge Petts told Harper: "Spoiler alert; you're leaving [HMP] Styal today.
"You did plead guilty, so I give you some credit for that, but more importantly you have already been on remand and have served the equivalent of eight months."
As such, the Judge imposed a 12 month community order with 20 days of rehabilitation activity and a five year domestic abuse protection order (DAPO).
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