An East Cowes man who breached his restraining order against an Isle of Wight councillor, to whom he was also abusive, has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Simon Wheeler, of Albany Road, has been sentenced by Portsmouth Magistrates Court after he failed to appear before the local court earlier this month.
Following a trial earlier this year, the 56-year-old was found guilty of deliberately breaching his restraining order, against Councillor Karl Love, twice – in February and March 2022. He was also found guilty of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
The trial heard how Wheeler approached Cllr Love on East Cowes Esplanade and then attended a public meeting where the councillor was present, despite being banned from contacting him, following an incident in August 2021. He was asked to leave the public meeting but started shouting and swearing, during which he called Cllr Love a ‘f***ing c***’, in the presence of children and adults.
Magistrates determined Wheeler caused a disturbance by his refusal to leave and his actions clearly caused some alarm and distress, upsetting the public around him.
Now, Simon Wheeler has received a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. He has also been made the subject of a 2-year restraining order, not to directly or indirectly contact Karl Love.
Magistrates have ordered Wheeler to pay costs of £150 and a £154 surcharge.
People mistake passion for abuse. Some people have fire in their belly because they’ve seen misuse of power or they feel wronged but for someone to do this he must have really felt betrayed and the fact they wont let him near means he was onto something. But as I’m learning we gotta know when to dial the passion down otherwise people take it the wrong way
Don’t be such a knob.
Wheeler has been stalking and abusing Love for years.
Looks like love has forsaken him!
Yes, it’s interesting that there hasn’t been any context stated for the original restraining order
Threatening behaviour and abuse is not passion, Wheeler is a thug and should have been locked up.