A MAN stalked his estranged wife with unwanted messages and visits to her place of work in the vain hope of a reconciliation.

Robert Hext, 58, had been married to the woman for 24 years before their relationship ended in 2018.

But during a period of almost three months between mid-May and mid-August last year, Hext engaged in a course of harassment which left her scared.

Carlisle Magistrates’ Court was told how Hext initially sent her four messages during online contact through multiple dating sites. She could not access the full content, but could see one said “hi, fancy a meal and a chat?”; while another asked “do you fancy going to Cyprus in September?”.

There were 57 email notifications from online profiles attributed to Hext.

He attempted to make contact through a third party, there were numerous sittings of him in a vehicle close to her home and he approached her in a car park outside shops.

On June 25, Hext attended her Carlisle place of work. “He has entered the store, approached her, smiled and said ‘hello’,” said George Shelley, prosecuting.

“She informed him he could not speak to her. He said ‘of course I can’,” said Mr Shelley. “He was asked to leave by the store manager. She felt scared and panicked.”

Hext also sent her a letter through the post and, the court heard, had twice been previously been asked by police to keep away from her. In court he admitted a charge of stalking, causing harassment.

The woman had provided an impact statement. “She simply talks about all of these forms of contact being completely unwanted,” said the prosecutor.
The woman had added: “I’m worried he will try to start contacting me through other ways when he gets no response.”

Jeff Smith, giving mitigation, said Hext had not contacted his ex-wife since September when strict bail conditions were imposed.

“He really hoped for a reconciliation. He knows now that is not a possibility at all,” said Mr Smith. “He knows he must now move on. He has indeed now moved on by not contacting her, so there is no contact.”

The district judge, John Temperley, requested a probation service pre-sentence report before handing down a punishment.

The case was adjourned to March 13 and Hext, of Oulton, near Wigton, heard his conditional bail would continue in the meantime.