Thief stole victim’s mobile phone from his Gillingham home and then harassed him for months

A thief devised an elaborate trick to steal his “ex-boyfriend’s” cell phone and then harassed him for months.

Scott Mitchell went to his victim’s home in Gillingham and said his mother had come over to lend him money.

He then asked the victim — who prosecutors said was his ex-lover — to make them all coffee. But when he went into the kitchen, dishonest Mitchell was walking with his £500 Samsung Note phone.

The 30-year-old then proceeded to harass and harass the man for about two months between May and July last year by turning up unannounced at his home and leaving notes for him.

Mitchell disputes there was a previous relationship but admitted he was harassed.

A court heard Mitchell, of no fixed address, was charged with intimidation without violence and theft from a dwelling. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the harassment charge, but then changed his plea to guilty and admitted both offenses when he appeared in court earlier this year.

Mitchell was also charged with several other offenses committed in separate incidents this year, including assault, assault on an emergency worker and four counts of shoplifting.

He admitted these charges at an earlier hearing and returned to Margate Magistrates’ Court on October 15 to be sentenced on all counts.

Elizabeth Evans, prosecuting, said: ‘They had an intimate relationship and saw each other every few days. But things started to go wrong when he asked for money to cover his rent or to pay loan sharks.

“The man subsequently broke up with Mr. Mitchell because he no longer wanted to be in a relationship.”

The prosecutor further told the court that after the couple broke up, Mitchell contacted the victim and told him he wanted to pay back what he had borrowed.

Ms Evans added: “He offered to refund the bank transfers and went to his house. He then asked to borrow his cell phone because he said his mother was coming to meet him to give him the money and that he had to go make coffee while his mother stopped outside.

“He then left through the front door with the man’s mobile phone.

“Three days later he is back at the man’s flat and asks to be let in. He left a handwritten note.”

A few days later, on May 24, Mitchell knocked on the man’s window asking to be let in and then asked him several times for more money.

After telling Mitchell to leave several times, the man called the police to report the incident. But later that day, Mitchell banged on his window and front door again.

Prosecutors said Mitchell showed up at the man’s home a number of times in May and June, begging to be let in.

The court heard that if the man crossed him while he was away, Mitchell would follow him back to his home.

Mrs Evans added: ‘Sometimes the man could drive ahead (and lose him) but five minutes later he would turn up.

“On June 6 and 7 he stood at the window and was told to leave and on June 11 the man found a handwritten note saying he wanted to have some fun upstairs and wanted to kiss.

“Then on June 17 he received a note in the mailbox saying he wanted to have the man’s cock in his mouth and kiss him.”

The court heard Mitchell turned up unannounced on several other occasions. He was arrested on these charges on September 13 of that year.

In a written impact statement, the victim says that Mitchell took money from him and that he is ashamed of it.

He also said he was relieved to have stolen his phone as it had given him the chance to get rid of him and his stalking behavior, and that he was now wary of running into Mitchell.

Ms Evans added: “He has previously reported theft and assault on emergency workers and I am seeking a restraining order.”

Magistrates heard Mitchell assaulted an Asda security guard when he went to the store in Mill Way, Sittingbourne, on April 1 this year.

He had already been banned from the store, but when he was recognized by the security guard, he was asked to leave. He became enraged and shouted at the guard before pushing him in the chest, knocking him backwards.

On 12 June he was spotted in Sheerness by police officer Richard Hewes, who realized he was wanted by the police so the officer attempted to arrest him.

Ms Evans added: “The officer grabbed him to detain him but he started making threats and the officer had to use pava (pepper spray) to control the situation. He shouted profanities and ripped off his stab-proof vest.

“The officer had to rely on members of the public to call 999 for help and he (the officer) received two blows to the head, all of which were captured on his body-worn camera.”

Between June 22 and 28 this year, Mitchell stole goods from three different shops in Sheerness and Sittingbourne.

The first theft took place at the Tesco store in Sheerness when he took four pairs of headphones worth £120, and just days later on June 25 he returned to the same store and stole a further two pairs of headphones worth £41 .

On June 28 he visited the Asda Express store in Sittingbourne and took various cleaning products including fairy gel and fabric softener worth £40. The following day he returned to the Tesco store and took various cleaning products and clothing worth £ 127.50.

The prosecutor added: “On June 29, at the Tesco store in Bridge Road, he put on the clothing, which was a T-shirt, belt and sunglasses, and walked out without making any attempt to pay.”

Ashley Mayes, defending, said it had taken so long for the cases to come to trial because Mitchell was recently jailed at Maidstone Crown Court for two attacks on emergency workers and was due to be released from prison today (October 22) after serving 12 months for the violations.

However, she revealed he was released early after serving just 40% of the sentence, as well as time on remand, and would be on license until May next year.

She added: “He uses drugs but he is now receiving counseling and has some mental health issues and disputes. There was a relationship (between him and the guy he stole the phone from) and said they were just friends who had the same interests and used drugs. together.

“Often he would come back to the address but say he owed money and steal the cell phone (for that reason).

“He does not want a relationship with the man, he has no interest in contacting him and there has been no contact for over a year.”

She also told the court that Mitchell was now taking medication to help his problems. He had stolen to finance his drug addiction, but wanted to change.

Magistrates said the offenses were serious and exceeded the threshold for custody, but they were prepared to suspend the term.

They jailed Mitchell for 180 days for all offences, suspended the term for 12 months and ordered him to attend 25 rehabilitation sessions.

He was also ordered to pay the mobile phone victim £500 and also pay compensation to the shops he stole from. He was also ordered to stay away from his former lover for three years.