Mansfield man called police to discuss life after death and pestered them with emails

When Kelvin Pennant was told it was not a police matter and he was wasting police time by a female call handler, on July 28, he swore at her, Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard.

Nicole Baugham, prosecuting, said that 15 minutes later he got through to another handler and went on an angry tirade, saying he wanted to report the woman he had just spoken to.

He was warned he could be charged, but continued to be aggressive. Both handlers recognised his voice “as he makes a large number of calls to Nottinghamshire Police”.

A stalking protection order, banning him from contacting or surveilling a woman, and from contacting police unless in a genuine emergency, was imposed on December 1.

But Pennant, aged 37, fired off 71 emails to the Nottinghamshire force between December 2 and 8. None were threatening, but one of them had a photograph attached of the woman named in the order.

The court heard, as he was being arrested on December 22, Pennant kicked out and made contact with a police officer's left arm.

Between Christmas Day and February 11, Pennant sent further emails, and made a number of phone calls, asking about the assault and the conditions on his order.

“A number of them didn't appear to be anything the police would be interested in,” said Ms Baugham. “There doesn't appear to be any consistency in the content of the phone calls.”

The court heard he has 24 previous convictions but nothing similar on his record. He was last before the court four years ago for criminal damage.

Pennant, of Newcastle Street, Mansfield Woodhouse, admitted malicious communications, breaching two court protection orders, and assaulting an emergency worker.

Morgan Hogarth, mitigating, said Pennant has been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder and traits of an anti-social personality disorder, stemming from historic cannabis abuse.

The emails he sent to the police were “akin to someone posting on an old-school message board" and “at worst they are annoying and irrittating”.

Pennant was given a 12-month community order with a mental health treatment requirement and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.