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Laura Templar (pictured), 38, bombarded father-of-two Patrick O’Connor with messages, calls and emails after he ended their on-and-off affair in April last year
An insurance worker who harassed her married ex-lover and sent him photographs of his own wife and children after he started a new affair with a woman in the same luxury apartment block has been hit with a restraining order.
Laura Templar, 38, bombarded father-of-two Patrick O’Connor with messages and emails after he ended their on-and-off affair in April last year.
The insurance underwriter, who lives in Shoreditch, also shouted ‘You’re a c**t’ at the construction worker after seeing him outside his offices in the City of London.
She also texted him saying she knew he was dropping his wife off at work, and purchased tickets to a work event he was due to attend, despite him not telling her about it.
Mr O’Connor warned Templar she was harassing him. But a court heard she then targeted his new lover, a concierge in her apartment block, after she discovered the pair were having their own affair.
She also revealed Mr O’Connor’s affair with the concierge to his wife and sent him pictures of him and his family.
Lawyers for Templar said she had ‘loved’ Mr O’Connor, that she had believed he wanted to be with her and that she had found it ‘extremely difficult’ seeing him with a new lover.
They also claimed she had asked Mr O’Connor not to stand outside her building but that he had continued to do so.
Now Templar, of Shoreditch, has admitted two counts of harassment without violence.
Appearing at Stratford Magistrates’ Court, she was given a 12-month conditional discharge along with a 12 month restraining order.
The court heard that Mr O’Connor, a married man, became involved with Templar in March 2020 when he was working as a construction worker at her luxury apartment block.
Lawyers for Templar said she had ‘loved’ Mr O’Connor, that she had believed he wanted to be with her and that she had found it ‘extremely difficult’ seeing him with a new lover
The affair was on and off for about a year before they split, with Templar later finding out that he had started another affair with the then concierge of the building, Caroline Decleves.
Margaret Bankole, prosecuting, said: ‘Patrick O’Connor is married and has two children.
‘He worked in the same building where the defendant lives. The affair began in March 2020 and lasted for two months.
‘Then the affair was rekindled in March last year and ended the same month, which is when it is said the defendant began harassing him by constantly sending him messages, emails and text messages.
‘She would also send text messages to his private phone number and his work phone number.
‘He, on numerous occasions, told her she was harassing him and to stop messaging him.
‘On one occasion she sent a text message when he dropped his wife off at work stating that she knows he just dropped her off.
‘At this point he was unaware how she would have known that.
‘She purchased tickets to a work event he would be attending and he did not make her aware of that event.
‘On 11 August at 8am, Patrick O’Connor saw the defendant as he was walking into his office by in the City of London.
‘They crossed paths. It is said the defendant shouted at him ‘What are you still doing here? When are you going to f**k off. You’re a c**t’.’
Ms Bankole said Templar also shouted and swore at Mr O’Connor in the street, on some occasions when he was briefing staff outside of work.
She said: ‘Mr O’Connor had an affair with his colleague Caroline Decleves who works as a concierge in the same building the defendant lives.
‘The defendant began to harass her also, constantly sending emails, contacting her on various numbers and shouting at her on the street.’
Templar told Mr O’Connor’s wife about Miss Decleves and sent photos to him of his family and children.
When Templar was interviewed by the police, she explained her behaviour as believing that she was owed answers, the court heard.
Mrs Bankole explained: ‘She said she was in shock as she really loved Patrick and she thought he wanted to be with her.
‘She told the police that she asked him nicely to not stand outside where she lives however he continued to do so.
‘She still sees them every day. When they see her they laugh and wave.’
Miss Decleves now no longer works in the building.
Christopher Pickwick, defending, said: ‘Miss Templar works from home quite often, she has had to see both parties on a regular daily basis knowing that they are seeing each other and that Mr O’Connor had ended the relationship with her.
The court heard that Mr O’Connor, a married man, became involved with Templar in March 2020 when he was working as a construction worker at the luxury apartment block (pictured) where she lives
‘She found it extremely difficult living in those circumstances.
‘No doubt if they weren’t working so close to her she wouldn’t be in court today.
‘Prior to Miss Templar being interviewed by the police the messaging stopped. Miss Templar in her words said ‘I stopped of my own accord when I calmed down.’
Templar, who wept during the hearing, was given a 12-month conditional discharge along with a 12-month restraining order.
She was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £107.
District Judge John Law said: ‘Obviously, it is a very sad day for you, at 38 years old to be in front of me having previous good character taken away from you by your guilty pleas.
‘This was obviously an unfortunate and badly ended relationship.
‘But you know that you took that too far in terms of what you did by continuing to contact and harass people who didn’t want to talk to you.
‘I’m going to deal with this with a conditional discharge – one of the most lenient sentences I can give.’
Source: Daily Mail
