A PENPARCAU pensioner who sent a Christmas card and letters to his neighbours breached a restraining order banning him from any contact with them.

John Thomas Chamberlain, of 1 Heol Tynyfron, admitted two charges of breaching the restraining order after he sent the items to members of the Haynes family between 15 December and 2 January.

Prosecutor Rhian Jones said Chamberlain, 77, had been made subject to the restraining order in 2012 after he was convicted of harassment of the Haynes family.

While there had been a previous breach of the order, Ms Jones said there had not been any recent issues, but just before Christmas, Karen Haynes had a Christmas card addressed to her arrive in the post.

Ms Jones said that when Ms Haynes opened it she realised the card was from Chamberlain as it said: “Have a nice break, you deserve it”, signed from ‘John’.

But Ms Jones said that was followed with a hand-delivered letter to Elizabeth Haynes referring to previous allegations and saying Chamberlain would be approaching local papers about the issue.

Police spoke to the family and checked CCTV footage which showed Chamberlain had hand-delivered the letter, despite being one of the conditions of the restraining order being that Chamberlain is not allowed to approach the family’s home.

Following his arrest Chamberlain said he had sent the Christmas card as he thought they were friends, but admitted that he had sent the letter out of frustration.

Ms Jones said Chamberlain had told police that he did recollect the restraining order that he was subject to. She added that family members said they wanted Chamberlain to leave them alone and did not want any contact between Chamberlain and the family.

Defence solicitor Janem Jones said, while Chamberlain admitted both offences, he said that he had been contacted initially by the Haynes family and that he had thought things were friendly, but now realised that he was subject to the restraining order and should not be having any contact with members of the family and that he was sorry for breaching the order.

Ms Jones said: “What Mr Chamberlain, a 77-year-old man, was trying to do was be friendly.”

Chamberlain was given a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, which Ms Jones said Chamberlain would welcome.

He was also fined £50 and will pay costs of £170.