A woman subject to an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) imposed while she was living in Walsden has been found guilty of breaching the order in Leeds.
Jeanne Wilding, 64, of Millwright Street, Mabgate, Leeds, has been found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of six offences of breaching her anti-social behaviour order. A jury took less than two hours to reach the decisions following a two-week trial.
Wilding was found guilty of six out of seven charges of breach of her anti-social behaviour order by entering the premises of Emmaus and St Vincent’s charity shops in Leeds and causing “harassment, alarm or distress”. She had denied the charges.
One witness who gave evidence at the trial, Emmaus general manager Alison Ward, described her behaviour at the St Mary’s Street shop as “vile”. During one disturbance West Yorkshire Police were called to the premises and Wilding was led away in handcuffs.
The jury of eight women and four men found Wilding not guilty of one ASBO breach charge relating to David Kirk, a member of staff at Emmaus, which provides accommodation and work for the homeless. Judge Paula Tyler adjourned the case for reports and Wilding is expected to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on August 5.
It is at this hearing that Calderdale Council’s application for a “bolt-on” ASBO will also be made. Earlier this year Calderdale Council applied to extend the original ASBO, imposed for behaviour when she lived at the hamlet of Bottomley, above Walsden, which had been due to expire.
The original order had been made for five years and in January at Calderdale Magistrates Court Deputy Assistant Judge Hirst extended the order until July pending the outcome of the Leeds case.
After the jury’s verdict, Judge Tyler warned Wilding that all sentencing options were open. She said: “There are a whole range of potential sentences that I am going to have to consider and the more information I have about you and your circumstances, the greater assistance it will be for me in carrying out that exercise.”
Wilding was given bail until the next hearing.