Post by The Collector on Jan 9, 2007 14:12:22 GMT
Son-in-law waged campaign of hate against Bobby Ball
Russell Jenkins
Nine months for harassing comedian
Court is told of criminal convictions
The former son-in-law of the comedian Bobby Ball was yesterday jailed for nine months for waging a hate campaign against him.
Kenneth O’Sullivan, 38, a builder, blamed the comedian — half of the duo Cannon and Ball — for the breakdown of his marriage to the comic’s daughter, Joanne. He bombarded the comic — whose real name is Robert Harper — and his wife, Yvonne, with unpleasant telephone calls and letters, and smashed windows and threatened to destroy Mr Harper’s career by going to the press with unspecified “personal information”, Preston Crown Court was told.
O’Sullivan, from Rochdale, who has 30 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment, a charge of dangerous driving and to absconding while on bail.
The defendant had been married to Mr Harper’s daughter for 12 years. They had three children by the time the marriage, often stormy, finally broke up. Joanne and her children moved into her parents’ home in Lytham St Anne’s, close to the resort of Blackpool where Cannon and Ball often performed in seaside shows.
The campaign of harassment began in Easter 2004. Rachel Woods, for the prosecution, said: “From then onwards, Mr and Mrs Harper were bombarded with telephone calls and correspondence — persistent telephone calls over a period of three months.
“The defendant would ring and ring, even though on many occasions they were responded to with the telephone being put down many times into the early hours of the morning. On some occasions, messages were left on the answerphone. They were highly unpleasant, involving threats from the defendant that he would destroy Mr Harper, and had been waiting a long time to do so.”
Ms Woods said that it was evident from the calls that O’Sullivan blamed Mr and Mrs Harper for his being denied access to the children.
Police were called to the house after windows were smashed in July 2004. O’Sullivan was seen in his car near by, but sped away from police who had to chase him at high speed before he was arrested.
Ball bearings, a catapult and a letter warning “Bob” to “watch out for the grand finale” were found in the car, the court was told.
O’Sullivan was bailed until January 2005, but went on the run and was arrested last October.
The court was told that he has a long record for house burglary, dishonesty and handling.
Paul Treble, for the defence, said that O’Sullivan now had a young child with another woman and just wanted to get on with his life and put the past behind him.
Jailing O’Sullivan, Judge Andrew Blake told him: “The sort of behaviour you exhibited in 2004, I hope you now realise, is completely unacceptable. It is no excuse for these sort of actions to say, ‘I did it for my children’.”
O’Sullivan, who has been in custody for the past three months, will become eligible for release in eight weeks.
After the hearing Mr Harper, who is in his early sixties, said: “It is the end of 2½ years of nightmare. It got really, really bad. We hope it is the end of it.” He said that he had had to install closed-circuit television and panic alarms at his home.
Cannon and Ball were once ever-present on television, commanding the prime light-entertainment spot on Saturday nights. They still appear on stage, including pantomime, and in Christian shows.
Just over a year ago the pair appeared on the television show I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!
Russell Jenkins
Nine months for harassing comedian
Court is told of criminal convictions
The former son-in-law of the comedian Bobby Ball was yesterday jailed for nine months for waging a hate campaign against him.
Kenneth O’Sullivan, 38, a builder, blamed the comedian — half of the duo Cannon and Ball — for the breakdown of his marriage to the comic’s daughter, Joanne. He bombarded the comic — whose real name is Robert Harper — and his wife, Yvonne, with unpleasant telephone calls and letters, and smashed windows and threatened to destroy Mr Harper’s career by going to the press with unspecified “personal information”, Preston Crown Court was told.
O’Sullivan, from Rochdale, who has 30 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment, a charge of dangerous driving and to absconding while on bail.
The defendant had been married to Mr Harper’s daughter for 12 years. They had three children by the time the marriage, often stormy, finally broke up. Joanne and her children moved into her parents’ home in Lytham St Anne’s, close to the resort of Blackpool where Cannon and Ball often performed in seaside shows.
The campaign of harassment began in Easter 2004. Rachel Woods, for the prosecution, said: “From then onwards, Mr and Mrs Harper were bombarded with telephone calls and correspondence — persistent telephone calls over a period of three months.
“The defendant would ring and ring, even though on many occasions they were responded to with the telephone being put down many times into the early hours of the morning. On some occasions, messages were left on the answerphone. They were highly unpleasant, involving threats from the defendant that he would destroy Mr Harper, and had been waiting a long time to do so.”
Ms Woods said that it was evident from the calls that O’Sullivan blamed Mr and Mrs Harper for his being denied access to the children.
Police were called to the house after windows were smashed in July 2004. O’Sullivan was seen in his car near by, but sped away from police who had to chase him at high speed before he was arrested.
Ball bearings, a catapult and a letter warning “Bob” to “watch out for the grand finale” were found in the car, the court was told.
O’Sullivan was bailed until January 2005, but went on the run and was arrested last October.
The court was told that he has a long record for house burglary, dishonesty and handling.
Paul Treble, for the defence, said that O’Sullivan now had a young child with another woman and just wanted to get on with his life and put the past behind him.
Jailing O’Sullivan, Judge Andrew Blake told him: “The sort of behaviour you exhibited in 2004, I hope you now realise, is completely unacceptable. It is no excuse for these sort of actions to say, ‘I did it for my children’.”
O’Sullivan, who has been in custody for the past three months, will become eligible for release in eight weeks.
After the hearing Mr Harper, who is in his early sixties, said: “It is the end of 2½ years of nightmare. It got really, really bad. We hope it is the end of it.” He said that he had had to install closed-circuit television and panic alarms at his home.
Cannon and Ball were once ever-present on television, commanding the prime light-entertainment spot on Saturday nights. They still appear on stage, including pantomime, and in Christian shows.
Just over a year ago the pair appeared on the television show I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!