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A MAN who stalked Chester MP Samantha Dixon has been jailed.[...]

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date18 April 2024
AuthorMichael Green
Publication titleChester Chronicle
Benjamin Scott-Thrale appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court on Friday (April 12) where he was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment

The court also issued a two year restraining order and a 12-month post-sentence supervision he must comply with.

The 32-year-old of Griffin Close, Chester, was found guilty of stalking involving serious alarm/distress.

During the trial at Warrington Magistrates Court, the court heard how Scott-Thrale had first contacted Ms Dixon for help regarding an ongoing legal dispute.

The victim and her team did what they could to assist Scott-Thrale but when they informed him there wasn't anything more they could do, his communications became increasingly threatening and intimidating.

Dissatisfied with the response, Scott-Thrale began making multiple attempts to contact the MP via calls and emails, demanding that she intervene in his situation.

It was clear in June 2023 that Scott-Thrale was not going to stop until he got the outcome he wanted, despite there being nothing further Ms Dixon could do for him.

Scott-Thrale's contact continued to be of a threatening nature towards the MP, resulting in him being spoken to by officers in August 2023 and warned to cease all attempts to contact but he was not deterred.

The threats and barrage of abuse continued and on Wednesday, January 24, this year, Scott-Thrale attended Ms Dixon's constituency office demanding to see her.

On Tuesday, February 20, officers attended Scott-Thrale's home address and he was arrested on suspicion of stalking and remanded into custody.

Despite Scott-Thrale admitting all of the attempts to contact the victim, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of stalking but Warrington magistrates found him guilty.

Following the sentencing, PC Morgan Bower of Cheshire Constabulary's Harm Reduction Unit said: "Scott-Thrale became fixated on the victim and chose to intimidate her when not getting the outcome he...

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