Business owner Alan Harris was given a restraining order after he tried to ‘woo’ his ex-partner by putting up huge signs along her route to work saying ‘I love you’ (Picture: Solent News)
A jilted ex has been handed a restraining order after he tried to win back his former partner by erecting giant billboards along her route to work saying ‘I love you’.
Leah Haeger said she felt ‘shame and embarrassment’ after Alan Harris put up six large placards – with her full name on – in public.
Mr Harris, who owns a scaffolding business, printed out the phrase ‘Leah Haegar I love you’ on some of the signs and carefully placed them along the route she took to work.
The 58-year-old later told magistrates he was deeply embarrassed by his ‘immature’ actions and did not intend to cause Ms Haegar any distress.
Alan Harris caused ex Leah Haeger to feel ‘shame and embarrassment’ by putting up six large placards – with her full name on – in public (Picture: Solent News)
Harris and Ms Haeger had been in a relationship from June 2021 to July 2023, prosecutor Laura Jenking-Rees told Portsmouth Magistrates Court.
But after they separated, Harris stalked his ex-partner on several occasions throughout August 2023.
Ms Jenking-Rees said Harris sent flowers to Haeger’s workplace in Botley Mills, Southampton, and also turned up uninvited ‘with the hopes of trying to speak to her’.
‘She told him to leave as she was working,’ the prosecutor told the court. ‘She did not want any contact from him and did not want him to come to her.
‘The behaviour persisted and on the 25th August, Mr Harris then decided to obtain six large signs – some of them saying ”Leah Haegar I love you” – and place them along her route to work.’
The court heard these signs ‘declaring’ his love for her caused Ms Haeger to feel distressed.
‘I feel shame and embarrassment, especially as [Harris] put my full name on the signs he made,’ Ms Haegar said in a victim impact statement.
Leah Haeger says she felt ‘shame and embarrassment’ over Harris’ actions (Picture: Facebook)
Ms Jenking-Rees added: ‘She made it very clear that all the behaviour from him was unwanted.
‘The behaviour made her feel scared because she didn’t know what he would do next.
‘She said since the incident, her mental health has declined massively.She checks the toilets at her workplace before she goes in.’
The prosecutor continued: ‘There had to be some form of planning in order to get the signs to place along the route.’
The court heard on another occasion, in August, Harris also followed his ex-partner in the car.
‘I would like this behaviour to stop,’ Ms Haegar said.
Saleem Chaudhry, mitigating,told the court: ‘Can I say from the outset, on behalf of Mr Harris, he is remorseful for his actions.
‘It’s quite clear that his approach to the breakdown of the relationship had been somewhat immature.
‘He never intended to cause the distress that he did. There is a degree of embarrassment as well to the way he’s acted.’
He added: ‘He thought he was trying to woo her back but clearly not.’
Harris admitted one count of stalking without fear, alarm, or distress.
He was handed a 12-month restraining order that bans him from contacting Ms Haegar, as well as prohibiting him from attending her home address or her work address.
Harris will also complete an 18 month community order consisting of 100 hours of unpaid work, and 39 days of rehabilitation activities as well as paying a total of £199 in costs.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.