A GRIEVING man was arrested after a blade he used to carve his dead partner’s initials was found by police.
Gary Cornelly was found with the saw blade stuffed in his jumper pocket after police were contacted by concerned locals.
Kirklees magistrates were told how the 36-year-old had struggled to cope following the suicide of Helen Gill.
Miss Gill was discovered hanged at the home she shared with Cornelly in Eastlands, Almondbury, in February.
Cornelly, who has since appeared in court on several different matters, also admitted two charges of attempted theft from cars.
He appeared before the Huddersfield bench in custody after committing the offences while on bail awaiting trial for going equipped to steal.
Vanessa Schofield, prosecuting, said on June 22 at 4.30pm police attended an address at Hollin Terrace in Marsh.
They were responding to reports of a man there behaving erratically.
When police arrived they found Cornelly to be under the influence as his speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet.
Ms Schofield said: “They carried out a search and found a saw blade in his jumper pocket, which was six inches in length.
“He said he put it into his pocket because he was using it to carve somebody’s name into the wall and had forgotten about it.”
The thefts were committed just two days later when a Paddock resident heard a loud noise coming from outside her home.
She looked out and saw that a brick had been put through the window of her Nissan car.
Ms Schofield said: “She went to investigate and saw him looking into the window of her vehicle. He then went to her neighbour’s vehicle and tried the handle.
“She shouted at him and he asked the time before walking off in the direction of Paddock roundabout.”
At the time of the offences Cornelly, who has more than 100 convictions to his name, was also subject to a community order given by magistrates in April.
During his last few court appearances, his solicitor has told how his life has spiralled out of control following the death of Miss Gill.
An inquest in Huddersfield earlier this month heard how Miss Gill died after struggling to cope with her drug addiction.
Sonia Kidd, mitigating, said: “His partner sadly took her own life and that’s caused some ongoing problems and difficulties for this gentleman.
“It’s had an incredible impact and he’s reverted to taking substances – not just class A drugs but purchasing any medications on the street he can get his hands on – and alcohol.”
She added that the saw blade found on Cornelly was not as sinister as it sounded.
Mrs Kidd added: “He had been using the item to carve his own and his late partner’s initials into a wall. It was found in his pocket and he was not brandishing it.”
Magistrates revoked Cornelly’s existing court order and replaced it with a new community sentence for 12 months, including nine months of drug rehabilitation.
