Prison for man found at Ipswich home

A DRUNKEN Ipswich man who caused a disturbance outside a woman's home as she got her children ready for school is starting a 14 month prison sentence today.

By Amanda Cresswell

A DRUNKEN Ipswich man who caused a disturbance outside a woman's home as she got her children ready for school is starting a 14 month prison sentence today.

Andrew Hogarth, of Hawthorn Drive, was found guilty of affray by a jury of eight women and four men at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

He was cleared of indecent assault on the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

An earlier charge of possessing an offensive weapon – a penknife – on that date was dropped after the jury was instructed to return a not guilty verdict on grounds of insufficient evidence.

The charges, which were denied by Hogarth, relate to an incident in October 19 last year.

Judge Peter Thompson sentenced Hogarth to nine months in jail for affray and an additional five months imprisonment from a suspended sentence at Ipswich Magistrates' Court –to run consecutively.

The court heard that the 35-year-old has been on remand from October last year so has already served nearly a six-month sentence.

Earlier the court was told Hogarth was drunk when he banged on the woman's door demanding to see her ex-partner.

After telling him to go away the woman tried to close a downstairs window but he prevented her by putting his arm between the window and the frame, the court heard.

It was alleged that he grabbed her arm and made allegations of a sexual nature.

The court was also told he allegedly kissed her arm and put his hand on her breast before she finally closed the window.

Hogarth returned a short while later in the woman's front garden where his behaviour was described as "irrational and unpredictable".

He climbed into her ex-partner's van before eventually falling out of it.