'Harrowing' Kettering shopping centre incident saw man try and stab himself in front of ex he was banned from contacting

A Kettering man who is banned from contacting his ex-wife has been jailed for trying to stab himself in front of her.

Leslie Moore went to his former partner’s place of work at the Newlands Shopping Centre and put her through the ‘harrowing’ experience, a court heard.

The 76-year-old had been handed a restraining order in June after he was convicted of stalking her.

On Wednesday (November 22) he was put behind bars for eight months after admitting breaching the order and possessing a bladed article in public.

Northampton Crown Court heard Moore’s ex was at work on October 14 when she saw him standing and looking at her.

Prosecutor Pree Brada said Moore, of Havelock Street, stood there for about a minute before leaving.

About 45 minutes later he returned, stood a few feet away from her and said: "Is this what you want?"

He then pulled out a kitchen knife and tried to stab himself in the stomach, the court heard.

Ms Brada said: "Security was called and Moore threw himself to the floor and refused to move.

"Security guards removed a knife with a blade of three to four inches and a screwdriver."

When interviewed by police Moore said it wasn't true that he had been stalking his ex-wife and that his intention wasn't to harm her but to hurt himself.

Ms Brada read out a victim statement from Moore’s ex where she said she was in shock and ‘completely hysterical’ at the time of the incident.

She said: “I was shouting and telling him to stop. I was worried for myself in case he was to come after me with the knife."

The victim added that she was left stressed and worried that he will turn up at her workplace again.

She said: "I am too afraid to go into the town centre alone in case I will see him."

Moore was remanded in custody on October 25 and appeared at court over videolink from HMP Peterborough, where he has been held.

Mitigating, Paul Vickers said Moore is upset at the relationship breakdown and added it is a ‘sad situation’ that a man of his age found himself before a court.

He said: "He accepts that there's no sensible explanation for his behaviour other than his love for his wife."

Sentencing, Recorder Patrick Upward KC jailed Moore for eight months and told him he will serve up to half of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence. He urged him to take advantage of the probation service when he is freed.

He told him: "Whatever your problems have been it's not right that you should put your former wife through the harrowing experiences that she endured on this occasion."