Homophobic voice message leads to court case
A 42-year-old man has been given a 12-month conditional discharge for leaving abusive messages on a gay man’s phone.
Anthony Cheshire, of Nunfield, Chipperfield, attends Alcoholics Anonymous and Watford Magistrates Court heard that he had been drinking at the time of the incident.
Cheshire was trying to contact the chairman of his AA group, John, reports the Edgware Times.
John’s partner, Jason Birkbeck, told Cheshire that he was not there, and there was an argument.
“Mr Cheshire had been drinking and left two voice messages and made offensive remarks.
“I think he was just a bit angry,” defence lawyer John Fuller told the court, according to the Times.
Cheshire was arrested five days later after a complaint was made to police.
He admitted leaving the messages, but denied he is a homophobe.
It was disclosed that he is already the subject of an ASBO banning him from Watford town centre and from rinking alcohol in public.
The chair of the bench decided on Friday that as he is trying to fight his alcohol addiction, a 12-month conditional discharge was an appropriate sentence.
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