Man banned from Bay Horse pub in Lindley after hate campaign

Jul 6 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

PUB customer Christopher Chaplin was obsessed with a barmaid at a Huddersfield pub.

But when Megan Williamson wanted nothing to do with him, he embarked on a terrifying hate campaign against her and her employers.

Now Chaplin, 46, has been banned from entering The Bay Horse in Lindley after he harassed the owners and a member of their staff.

And he has been warned if he breaches the order, he could be jailed.

Chaplin was barred from the Acre Street pub after allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards bar worker Miss Williamson, but he then embarked on a campaign involving threatening texts and letters.

Chaplin, who lived in the area at the time but now has an address in Grimsby, had admitted charges of harassment in January but while he was on police bail he continued his behaviour towards landlord Stephen Pyke, his wife Clare and Miss Williamson.

In a phone call Chaplin told Mr Pyke: “If you continue with these allegations I will come and get you, you scumbag.”

A few days later Chaplin called again demanding an apology from Miss Williamson.

In early February the landlady received nine text messages which included a reference to “harassing your offspring”.

In other messages he threatened to trash a car and warned: “You will get no respite from me now.”

During a call to Miss Williamson in January she was very distressed and hung up.

Prosecutor Louise Azmi revealed that Chaplin was sentenced to a community order and restraining order last year after he subjected his local priest in Grimsby to a course of conduct amounting to harassment.

In April this year Huddersfield magistrates jailed Chaplin for 28 days for the original harassment matters arising out of his behaviour at the pub, and yesterday he appeared at Bradford Crown Court in relation to further allegations of threatening to take revenge on witnesses.