Redhill husband jailed for stalking ex-wife

By hthompson holly thompson holly.thompson@essnmedia.co.uk

A college careers advisor who pushed his ex-wife up against a wall and threatened to kill her has been jailed for 10 months.

John Gannon, 47, of London Road, Redhill, visited his former marital home to terrorise his ex-wife four times after being served with a non-molestation order on June 23 this year.

Less than three days after the order was granted, he showed up on his former partner, Patricia's, doorstep but fled after she threatened to activate her panic alarm.

Undeterred, he visited again on June 29, and also on July 1 where he became aggressive and pulled Patricia's radiator off her wall, Guildford Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

On his final visit on August 24 he pinned his ex-wife against the wall and told her she wouldn't live long enough to spend the money gained from selling her house, on Beech Road, Tadworth.

Laura Plant, prosecuting, said: "Mrs Gannon had just let her dog into the garden and closed the door, but she left it unlocked.

"When she returned to the kitchen she saw him sitting at the table. He asked her why she was packing and she told him the house had been sold.

"He swore at her and told her she couldn't sell his house, and then put this fist under her chin and held her against the wall."

Mr Gannon, a careers advisor at Bromley College, Kent, was spotted leaving by one of the neighbours and arrested by police.

Richard McConnaghy, defending, said the order had not been breached since September and Mr Gannon was now complying with the order.

Judge Christopher Critchlow, sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment for what he called "very serious breaches" of his non-molestation order.

Gannon was sentenced to one month for the first breach, two months for the second, three months for the third, and four months for the final breach.

Gannon pleaded guilty to all four offences. His jail sentences were ordered to run consecutively.