An alcoholic and abusive terminally sick girl has been given a five-year restraining order after she turned her profitable businesswoman spouse into ‘shell of her former self’ after hounding her throughout a bitter battle over their crumbling marriage.
Susan Robinson, 61, had cut up up with 51-year previous accountant Joanne Shaughnessy after attempting in useless to cease her consuming closely when she found she had incurable breast most cancers.
However as Ms Robinson carried on operating the couple’s care agency, Shaughnessy bombarded her with offensive messages and even turned up at their work premises drunk and calling her a ‘c**t.’
In one other incident she attended an workplace lunch for your complete workers solely to angrily kick her spouse within the shins saying: ‘I hate you, I hate you – what are you truly doing right here in work?’
Then over a ten day interval she additionally left 24 abusive voicemails and despatched Ms Robinson emails saying: ‘Simply watch your self in terms of work Susan, you aren’t the boss. You’re in hassle. Do not assume the police will not get to know. Foolish lady.’
Shaughnessy additionally intimidated her when she noticed her estranged spouse at some site visitors lights close to the Trafford Centre, stopping on the other carriageway leaving her sufferer terrified.
At Manchester Crown Court docket, Shaughnessy, from Swinton, close to Salford, admitted harassment, assault stalking and sending a letter conveying a threatening message.
She and was sentenced to 13 weeks jail, suspended for 12 months. She has since resigned from the agency. Shaughnessy was additionally ordered to finish an alcohol remedy programme, pay £500 prices and was banned from contacting Ms Robinson for 5 years beneath the phrases of a restraining order.
Susan Robinson, 61, (proper) had cut up up with 51-year previous accountant Joanne Shaughnessy (left) after attempting in useless to cease her consuming closely when she found she had incurable breast most cancers. Shaughnessy then launched a marketing campaign of harassments and abuse
Shaughnessy who was banned from contacting workers on the firm which offers assist for the aged in their very own properties in Salford, Higher Manchester additionally despatched a mocking video of Ms Robinson having fun with a drink accompanied by the message: ‘You can’t decide me, I like you continue to xx’.
In a press release to police Ms Robinson, a former property agent, stated: ‘I’m completely distraught by this entire expertise. It has blown my household aside. It has not simply affected me, it has affected my household, Joanne’s household and our workers.
‘I’m on edge the entire time. I’m on edge each time I depart the home and I’m a shell of my former self. All of my time and vitality is being consumed by Joanne. My household are anxious I’m on the verge of a breakdown. This has had an influence on each my bodily and psychological well being. For years I felt I may assist Joanne however now I’ve received to the purpose the place I’ve to confess defeat.’
Ms Robinson stated that she turned a ‘shell of her former self’ after the marketing campaign of abuse
The court docket heard the couple who every have kids from earlier relationships had recognized one another for 25 years, had been in a relationship for 15 years and married in 2016.
That very same 12 months they co-founded and opened the Salford workplace for Dwelling As an alternative Senior Care while in search of appropriate care preparations for Ms Robinson’s aged mom.
By October 2017 the workplace had already been rated ‘excellent’ by the Care High quality Fee (CQC) however cracks appeared of their relationship when Shaughnessy who has additionally labored as a Monetary Advisor and Finance Director for numerous SMEs started consuming closely.
Prosecutor Anna Chestnutt stated: ‘She spent a month in rehab in late 2020 however while there she very sadly found a lump on her breast, which has subsequently been recognized as terminal breast most cancers. The pair separated in November 2020 and started dwelling individually.
‘On October 18 final 12 months, Ms Robinson was on the enterprise handle when the defendant attended out of the blue with lunch for everybody. Ms Robvertson thought of this to be odd as nobody had requested her to purchase any meals. However the defendant then entered the workplace and began shouting at Ms Robinson: ‘I hate you, I hate you. You’re a c**t. What are you truly doing right here in work?’
‘By this level she was in her face and was raging. The defendant then stood over Ms Robinson who was attempting to retrieve a cellphone from a drawer and kicked her twice to her shin. The assault solely stopped when Ms Robinson stated she would name the police and the defendant then left the premises.
‘The door was locked behind her and while banging on the home windows, the defendant she was heard shouting ‘Why are you doing this Susan?’ She was then heard screaming with rage, so Ms Robinson did then name the police. Police arrived shortly after and the defendant stated that she had been locked exterior. She smelt strongly of alcohol and her eyes have been glazed. She started resisting officers and tried to wriggle free when being arrested.
‘Between October 19 and October 29, the defendant left 24 voicemails which Ms Robinson felt too upset to take heed to. The defendant was advised to not contact Ms Robinson however by November 13 was contacting her e mail. Ms Robinson describes being distressed by these emails.
‘On November 27, Ms Robinson was driving from her office to the Trafford Centre and was stationary at a set of site visitors lights when she noticed the defendant driving in the other way.
‘The defendant stopped her automobile so it was on to the facet of Ms Robinson’s automobile. Site visitors then started to maneuver so thankfully so the defendant couldn’t say or do something however Ms Robinson nonetheless felt frightened.
‘On November 30, the defendant despatched Ms Robinson a video of her drunk while the defendant was filming and goading her. A following message stated, ‘You can’t decide me, I like you continue to xx’. The defendant additionally turned as much as the enterprise handle on this present day. after being issued with a letter instructing her to not contact any member of the crew.’
Joanne Shaughnessy turned up on the couple’s enterprise, kicking her spouse within the shins and calling her a c**t’
In mitigation defence counsel Mark Rhind QC stated: ‘On any view, it is a tragic case. It’s all the time a tragic when a mature individual of excellent character comes earlier than the court docket dealing with the prospect of a direct custodial sentence.. It’s a tragedy when these circumstances are borne out by sickness, a lack of a relationship, a lack of a enterprise, by psychological well being points and points to do with drink.
‘The defendant has had all of these points which brought about her to lose all perspective.
‘She misplaced her spouse after a 15-year relationship. She has misplaced the enterprise she beloved and misplaced her house she shared together with her too. She was recognized with most cancers and now terminal most cancers which she carries on coping with.
‘It’s these accumulation of pressures on her which has concluded on this behaviour. It appears clear that she discovered it inconceivable to grasp the lack of all the things that was so expensive to her. She discovered it inconceivable to consider that there was no approach of resolving the problems.
‘She was of the view that she may flip issues round and she or he may make Ms Robinson see sense and issues would go away however that has not occurred. She is wholly unfamiliar with the court docket and she or he didn’t perceive and take critically the necessities of the bail situations. She believed by some means she may change her thoughts and all of this may go away but it surely didn’t.
‘She has misplaced her good character. She will be able to now not contact the enterprise she was so devoted too. She has taken steps to resolve points now and to cope with the connection and enterprise correctly. She has tried to indicate expressions of affection to get again collectively together with her accomplice, asking her speak to her…It’s clear to her now that the connection is over.’
Sentencing her, decide Mr Recorder Daniel Prowse advised Shaughnessy: ‘ ‘This was the lady who you liked and lived with. Your offending has had a considerably impact on her and she or he says she is now a shell of her former self. These offences are very severe. You may have made her life a distress.
‘You may have left her considerably impacted and really anxious about your undesirable consideration. Your behaviour may be described as obsessive, disagreeable and unwelcome.
‘For a girl of excellent character along with your profitable background, that is plainly out of character. However it’s undoubtedly because of severe private difficulties that you simply going your self in for a way you behaved in approach did.
‘You may have misplaced your relationship, your online business which you liked which you entered into due to the care you supplied to your companions grandmother. You are actually within the strategy of a division of the belongings and there’ll come a degree within the close to future the place you’ll now not be concerned in that enterprise that you simply constructed and beloved.
‘You may have a severe prognosis of most cancers which is terminal and it’s unclear how lengthy you’ve got left to stay. I’m advised you now perceive that your relationship is over. The pressures you have been beneath brought about you to lose perspective utterly.’