A cemetery is a place often associated with loss and sadness. It can also be a place of fear and terror. Especially at night. Every so often someone decides to pray on that fear by doing someone they may think is funny but others can find quite horrifying.
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Recently a man was charged by Portsmouth magistrates court for using threatening or abusive words or behaviour to cause distress.
Anthony Stallard, 24, of Southsea, Hampshire was fined a total of £75 and had 3 months added to an existing 12-month suspension he received for previous harassment charges.
According to reports, Stallard was out drinking with some friends when they decided to go to Kingston Cemetery in Portsmouth to play some football, which is obviously, an ideal place for playing sports...
Police were allegedly called by witnesses wanting to complain about Stallard's rowdy behaviour as well as pretending to be a ghost.
A spokesperson for the Hampshire police service stated:
The witnesses reported the group engaging in rowdy behaviour and one of them throwing their arms in the air and saying ‘woooooo’. I’m assuming he was pretending to be a ghost.
Stallard had pleaded guilty to the public offence charge and admits he realises that his actions could have caused distress for many others. Stallard's lawyer Denise Saunders stated:
He has accepted that his behaviour if it had been outside of a cemetery, would not have been inappropriate. But inside a cemetery, while people are grieving for their loved ones, it might be.
Due to the fact that Stallard was found to be in breach of his previous suspension if he is found to be in breach of this suspension again, he could face up to 12-weeks in prison.
