'˜Stalking' ex given ban extension

Nina Postlethwaite, from Whelley, attended Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court to ask for an extension to a restraining order already enforced on her former partner earlier this year after he was caught with a kitchen knife outside her house.

Ms Postlethwaite, who requested a screen to protect her from having to face her abuser, told the court how she was being “stalked” by Ian Riddle, from

Nottingham, after ending their six-year relationship back in February. He claims he was only trying to gain access to their child which had been denied to him since they split.

But Ms Postlethwaite said: “He’s harassing and stalking me. He’s driving me crazy, absolutely crazy. I can’t come out of my house half of the time. I am absolutely demented with this man.”

The couple argued back and forth in front of magistrates, as Ms Postlethwaite accused Riddle, the father of her son, of following her and making the three-hour drive from the Midlands to the borough “for no reason”.

“He’s admitted that he has someone watching me,” she added.

“The police won’t do anything about it.

“I’m ringing the police begging to go down and make statements.

“He’s never hit me or done anything violent, but what he is doing is worse. He’s ruining my life.

“He doesn’t have any family here; there’s no reason for him to be coming to Wigan.”

The couple broke up in February due to Riddle’s “dishonest” behaviour, something which he admitted to magistrates.

The court then heard how Riddle had been arrested and pleaded guilty to harassment and possession of an offensive weapon back in February, after telling Ms Postlethwaite he was in Nottingham before shortly turning up outside her house.

A large kitchen knife was found in the footwell of his car, which Riddle later claimed was for protection.

Following this incident, a restraining order was enforced.

But Ms Postlethwaite explained that her ex-partner was still finding ways to contact her.

“He knows everything I do,” she added. “He is on me everywhere I go.

“If police searched his phone they would see how dangerous this man is.

“He’s even stopped my bank cards.

“This is what I’m living with day in day out.”

Riddle defended his actions saying that he had “every right” to move to the Wigan area to be near his son and that his contact with his child had ceased since his relationship with Ms Postlethwaite broke down.

He told the court that it was all “lies” and that all he wanted to do was see his son.

After hearing both parties give their side, magistrates decided to extend the restraining order by a year, stretching to March 2019, as well as banning

Riddle from all forms of communication both directly to Ms Postlewaite, and indirectly (asking other people to contact his ex-partner on his behalf.