A former pub landlord who lost his licence for selling counterfeit booze has admitted harassing his estranged wife.
Robert Christopher Hannah, 54, sent victim Janine Hannah more than 900 text messages after their marriage broke down, Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard today.
The court heard he phoned his wife’s mother and his own children asking them to put their mother on the phone, during a seven month harassment campaign.
Angie Rowan, prosecuting, said: “On May 9 the complainant walked out of the family home and has not returned since. The defendant has sent over 900 text messages, not about child contact as they are supposed to be, but attempting to get back together and declaring his love for the complainant.
“Mrs Hannah said when the defendant was drunk or when she ignored him the messages would get abusive and intimidating.”
The court heard Hannah, of Kingfield Road, Walton, was arrested in January and admitted the messages “looked bad”.
A victim impact statement from Mrs Hannah said: “I feel emotionally drained over the whole situation. The constant contact from Robert upsets me, my children and family members(…)
“When Robert walked past my house my mum had to stay over so I felt safe.”
More stories from the courts
Man charged with Liverpool ‘bomb hoax’ Selfie-obsessed teenage burglar Takeaway in court over infestation Care home worker stole from ill man 
Paul Williams, defending, said his client had struggled to cope with the death of his father and the breakdown of his marriage.
He told the court Hannah’s construction business had folded, but he was in the process of building up a new business.
Magistrates adjourned the case until February 4 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Hannah was stripped of his alcohol licence by Liverpool City Council in June 2013, after inspectors found 84 bottles of illegal vodka and 27 litres of illegal sambuca at the Old Campfield Pub in Heyworth Street, Everton.
Bottles of counterfeit vodka were found stashed away in a locked cupboard and in a dishwasher when trading standards officers executed a warrant at the pub.
Jenny Davies, enforcement officer for the Liverpool alcohol and tobacco unit, had told the council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee that tests carried out elsewhere in the UK had found the fake vodka was adulterated with some of the same ingredients found in producing antifreeze, which could lead to blindness when drunk.
Sgt Michael Hearty, of the police’s licensing unit, said there were “serious concerns” about the management of the pub and the possible risks to public safety if it was allowed to carry on trading.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/