A 27-YEAR-OLD Northwich man who attacked and stalked a woman has been spared jailed.

Jonathan Bacegalupo previously pleaded guilty to assault, stalking without fear and possession of a class B drug at Warrington Magistrates’ Court – which a deputy district judge said could have ‘easily’ landed him in prison.

During a sentencing hearing at the court on September 27, it was heard Bacegalupo – of Beech Lane in Barnton – had made a number of phone calls to the woman and went to her home address in Middlewich despite being told to leave her alone.

The prosecution said on August 4, the woman returned home after work and was surprised to find the defendant was not there as she expected.

When Bacegalupo came home, the woman questioned him, and he said he had been out looking for a job but became angry and she could tell he had been drinking.

They both went to get a takeaway pizza, which the court heard was when things ‘started kicking off’ and Bacegalupo elbowed the woman in the side of the face.

While she was driving, Bacegalupo also pulled the handbrake and grabbed the steering wheel which caused her to almost crash, after which he exited the car and she drove home.

When he later arrived at the Middlewich address, Bacegalupo banged on the woman’s door and sent her text messages saying he loved her and he was sorry.

The court heard she told him to leave her alone and she was scared of his behaviour.

Bacegalupo was arrested and was told not to contact the woman, but despite this, he messaged her to say he was sorry through his mum’s Facebook account.

A few days after the first incident, the woman had been out with a friend and had left her back window at home slightly open.

When she returned, she found a bottle of orange juice on the windowsill and one of her two dogs missing – which she suspected were both because of Bacegalupo.

She also received further messages and a phone call from numbers she did not recognise which the defendant had used to try and contact her.

He entered a guilty plea to all charges at the first opportunity.

Representing himself in court, Bacegalupo said when the offences were committed, he had been drinking but he had cut down his alcohol consumption and wanted to get help.

He told Deputy District Judge Arlegh Davies that alcohol abstinence would be a good opportunity for him.

Ms Davies said: “Quite easily you could be sent to prison today, because having listened to your case, your conduct isn’t impressive, is it?”

Despite this, she said she was pulling back from custody because of his guilty plea, his work at a new job and how he seemed committed to changing.

She added: “I am going to impose a community order because I think that, hopefully, will stop the court from ever seeing you again.”

Bacegalupo is subject to a 24-month community order including 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days and the ‘Building Better Relationships’ programme.

He will also need to comply with alcohol abstinence monitoring for 120 days and pay £120 costs and a surcharge of £114.