A COUNCILLOR who broke a court order banning him from going near a woman had made her life a misery, a court heard.
Maldon district councillor Chrisy Morris, 47, turned up outside the woman's new home in Witham the day after she moved in.
He was convicted of breaching a court order after a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
In a victim impact statement read to court, the woman said she had moved from Maldon to get away from Morris who had left her suffering from "stress and anxiety".
She said she had been forced to go shopping out of town to avoid the serving West Heybridge independent councillor.
The court heard she was suffering sleepless nights and would barely go out on her own, and had even given up her job.
Morris was described as a "law unto himself".
The woman said moving house had left her feeling safe for the first time in months.
But she had "one day of her new life and then he turned up".
Morris had claimed it was a "complete coincidence" that he was in the street in Witham on July 22, 2019
He had been banned from going near the woman by a court order imposed in 2018.
But a jury convicted him of breaching the order.
The jury cleared Morris of a second charge which had allegedly happened on January 5, 2020.
Sarah Taylor, prosecuting, said Morris had again gone to the woman's address.
Morris claimed he had spent the whole night at Langdon's Mill House Hotel, where he was living at the time.
He said he was chatting to hotel boss Richard Perry, while the Christmas decorations were being taken down.
Mr Perry denied he had been asked to provide an alibi, and his partner, Carey Martin, said it would have been impossible for Morris to have slipped out.
Ms Taylor had alleged they were "covering for their friend".
The court heard Morris had a previous conviction for battery in 2008.
Judge Timothy Walker adjourned sentencing until February 28 for reports.
Morris told the court he will appeal against his latest conviction.
READ MORE: 'I was six miles away' – court hears accused councillor Chrisy Morris's alibi
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