A JILTED pensioner made his former partner's life a misery by throwing rat poison and dog poo into her garden, Chester Crown Court heard on Thursday, July 8.

Mario Attalio Foschi, 68, had previously carried out a sustained targeted campaign of harassment by sneaking up to her car at her home and slashing her tyres, while wearing a balaclava.

Foschi, of Talbot Road, Dunham-on-the-Hill, near Helsby, pleaded guilty to the charge of stalking involving serious alarm and distress.

Judge Patrick Thompson questioned why Foschi had not also been charged with multiple breaches of a restraining order. As it was, Foschi had automatically breached a community order, imposed from breaching existing restraining orders, through committing the new stalking offence.

Foschi was handed a two-year suspended sentence and an existing restraining order was imposed for life.

Prosecuting, Oliver King said the stalking offences happened on six occasions between August and October 2020.

Foschi and the victim had been in a relationship for a short time in 2017, which ended, and Foschi "had not taken that well".

Foschi was convicted in 2019 for harassment and a restraining order imposed, preventing him from entering Manley, where the victim lived.

On August 7, 2020, the victim found a chemical had been sprayed in her garden, damaging the lawn and plants.

She was worried for her grandchildren, who had in the past played in that garden, and a few days later more of the chemical was sprayed. A sample of it was obtained by police.

On October 2, dog excrement was thrown into the garden.

On October 12, Foschi had followed the woman into the Tesco store in Helsby and waited by the entrance for her. The woman said she stayed in the store, deliberately, until he had left.

On October 25, more dog excrement was found in the garden, this time found by the victim's daughter.

Police were informed and a CCTV camera – installed because of the victim's concerns of Foschi's behaviour in the past – showed a figure looking like Foschi at the scene.

Officers went to Foschi's address and he arrived, claiming he had just gone to the Post Office.

A search of the house found the chemical matching that sprayed into the garden, which was rat poison, as well as rat poison residue.

Foschi denied the offence the first time he was interviewed, but on the second – when the forensic evidence was put before him – he admitted what he had done.

He had obtained the dog excrement from a deposit box and had taken it to the victim's garden.

He also admitted going to the Tesco store at several times during the day at times he believed the victim might be there.

The defendant had three previous convictions, all in relation to the harassment campaign against the same victim.

Previously, he had breached his restraining orders by sending the victim a handwritten birthday card, and by deliberately following and driving by her slowly in his car.

The restraining orders were imposed for harassment which included, in February 2019, wearing a balaclava and spending several minutes by the victim's car and letting the air out of her tyres. On the second time he tried to do this, a neighbour spotted him and Foschi drove off at speed. At his address were a balaclava and a Stanley knife.

A victim impact statement from the woman said she had suffered psychological problems as a result and felt like "a prisoner in her own home".

She could only sleep about three hours a night and every time the wind hit the window, she felt the need to check CCTV, in case Foschi was there.

The woman added she had visions of Foschi watching her from the hedge.

Defending, Chris Hunt said it had become clear Foschi had a number of mental health issues, potentially from the loss of his stepmother, which led to the "bizarre" behaviour, which had included Foschi taking rat poison himself.

He added: "He has fully accepted that what he was doing was utterly despicable and he is ashamed."

Foschi appeared to have finally accepted his behaviour and there had been no further incidents since October 2020.

Judge Thompson imposed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.

An existing restraining order, due to expire in 2024 and preventing Foschi from contacting the victim or her relatives in any way, as well as preventing him from entering Manley, was extended indefinitely.

The judge added any breaches of that would be reserved to him, and would see the defendant jailed for two years on top of any offences he may commit.

Foschi must also observe a six-month 7pm-7am curfew at his home address, and complete 35 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.